Following Jupiter
by Sweet Roses
Summary: Everything on Gaea is going great ever since Hitomi left. Celena is reunited with Allen but what ever did happened to Dilandau? After bringing his slayers back to life he is out to get Van but will he fall for his secret weapon?
1. Before You Begin

Ok...For people who are reading this for the first time, Thank-you. As for the people who, for some odd reason are reading it again, I revised the whole thing and there should not be any spelling or grammar mistakes. Everything should flow and make sense. I have also added text and deleted text so now it is a little more detailed as to what is going on. There will also be no author notes at the end of the chapters, just one chapter after the next.  
  
Well, thanks for reading! Enjoy ^ ^  
  
Yours truly,  
  
Sweet Roses.  
  
P.S. Leave Reviews for me :) 


	2. Prologue

Prologue  
  
*****  
  
Leaunna lay on her bed in her little bedroom in the small quiet country house where she read, flipping the last few pages of her book, titled: Gaea by Hitomi Kanzaki.  
  
~'And then he held me in a tight embrace and that ever so familiar bluish light engulfed me for the fifth and final time, taking me back to Earth, but taking me away from my one true love, from the King of Fanela, from Van.'~ She sighed and closed the book bringing it close to her chest.  
  
"The eighth time I've read it and it is still as good as the first. It would be so cool if Gaea really existed. it would be like a dream come true. maybe" she thought as she rolled off the bed and stood up, stretching her arms.  
  
'Another Beautiful day!' she yawned. 'Too bad I wasted it.' She added while shrugging. She started to walk down stairs into the small kitchen.  
  
'Hewow wittle puppy dog! D'you want to go for a walk? Huh? Do ya? C'mon!' she started walking toward the door slapping her leg to get the dog to come. 'I'm talking the dog for a walk, Larry'  
  
'Fine, just shut up, I can't hear the game over that big mouth of yours' he hollered from the other room.  
  
'Yeah, okay' she whispered raising her eyebrows as the dog whimpered at the door. 'All right you little thing you, I'm coming' She pulled on her silver and blue sneakers and rushed outside. The dog was running ahead and going in circles to see if Leaunna was coming, running ahead and then running back making sure she was still there and taking him for a walk.  
  
'I'm coming, I'm coming, slow down and maybe I'd be able to catch up with up' she looked around, the sun was shining brightly, birds were singing, you know the usual Disney setting.  
  
'I wonder what it would be like to meet that Hitomi girl, she really has an over active imagination. well then again, so do I and that's probably why I love it so much.' She thought while shoving her hands into pockets. Walking over the plains in Phoenix, Arizona where Larry and her grew their crops. Although she felt that she did all the work.  
  
'Sweetums! Come here Sadie, where are you baby? You are my wittle baby' she said in a high-pitched voice as she came running towards her. She barked happily as she ran around in circles again. They continued their walk until dusk and started to make their way home.  
  
*****  
  
--On Gaea--  
  
Van was walking in a fast pace down the halls of the castle in fanalia right to where the dinning room was, and right where Allen was.  
  
When the doors busted open Allen and the Crusaders looked up from their card game and Merle, who was in the corner, looked right at Van. He had an expression of hurt as if Hitomi had left him all over again.  
  
'What? What is it Van Sama?' Merle asked jumping on him, and hanging off of his neck.  
  
'Hitomi,' he gasped. Allen perked up.  
  
'Hitomi?'  
  
'Her pendant is missing, out of the drawer, gone'  
  
'Merle did you.' Allen started.  
  
'Nooooooooo!' she whined. 'Maybe you should ask your sister! She seems to like it a lot' Merle yelled at Allen, still clinging on to Van's neck.  
  
'Where is she anyway?' Allen asked, looking around.  
  
'Well, that's the thing, Celena's. gone too' 


	3. Be Like That

Chapter 2: Be like that  
  
She spends her days up in the north park,  
  
Watching the people as they pass  
  
And all she wants is just a little piece of  
  
This dream, is that too much to ask  
  
With a safe home, and a warm bed, on a  
  
Quiet little street  
  
All she wants is just that something to  
  
Hold onto, that's all she needs  
  
*****  
  
'We have to find her. That pendant of Hitomi's might have had the power to find things and locate objects and alter fate but this is much more than that. If Celena does have that pendant were in for a rude awakening, but there's a chance just a chance that we might be able to find her before 'he' uses it.' Said Allen, boarding the crusade.  
  
'What's that supposed to mean huh?' Merle asked.  
  
'Shh' Van shushed her, pressing his finger to his lips and narrowing his eyebrows.  
  
'So... what is that supposed to mean anyway' Van asked and suddenly opened his mouth in pain, but nothing came out as Merle jumped on his foot. He gave her a dirty look and she stuck out her tongue at him, giving him the same dirty look.  
  
'What?' She asked innocently. 'Well, you deserved it. You told me not to ask.'  
  
'Children.' Allen said calmly. 'It means that Celena is Dilandau, I never really figured that his presence was totally gone, I hear Celena cry at night' Allen paused a moment. 'Since she is 'him' I guess they share thoughts. Remember that man that came here, warned us about Hitomi's pendant? He said that it would bring great wrath over Gaea? It is known that there is this woman in Gaea who can reincarnate the long deceased, without parts of the body or a piece of the deceased's clothing.'  
  
'So your thinking that Dilandau is taking the pendant so he can find this women so he can rejuvenate his Dragon Slayers so they can attack Fanalia? Again?'  
  
'No. He can't use it'  
  
'Hitomi.'  
  
'No, not Hitomi there has to be another someone, who is probably unaware of its powers. That's how he can do it. Celena might be able to fight him off.'  
  
******  
  
'Stop, leave...me alone.' Celena cried meekly. She was lying in a forest near Fanalia, clutching a pendant that she knew too well, wishing for her other side to disappear, leave her rest for one night, just one more night.  
  
She would change back and forth, between male and female, Celena and Dilandau.  
  
'Get up! Stop feeling sorry for yourself' he screamed in her head. 'And hurry up and get to that clearing'  
  
'No' she held her head tight, screaming without noticing and she felt herself changing, felt herself transforming without will into the man who had control over her body for years.  
  
'I really hate it Celena, when you wear dresses. Why couldn't you just ware some more comfortable?' by now he was at the clearing that he wanted to be in.  
  
He raised the pendant and then lowed it again. 'Hmmm?' maybe I should get some different cloths on wouldn't you say, dearest Celena. Unlike you I'm considered a freak when I wear dresses' His voice became thick with cynical laughter.  
  
'I'm not already a freak Celena, just because I talk to you, out loud when there's nobody around.' He paused a moment to recall what he'd said. 'Maybe I'll just talk low for a while,' he stated and started to walk somewhere for cloths.  
  
When he finally found what he was looking for he stole them and left Celena's dress there, not as payment, but because he wasn't going to need it, and neither was she.  
  
*****  
  
'So do you think that he's going to go to Earth? To look for this unknown?' Van asked. Allen looked annoyed as he replied 'Van! Don't you listen? I already told you he can't use the god damned pendant alright?'  
  
'Are you sure?' Van inquired, looking skeptical. 'You honestly know that he can't use it. Tell me that you know.' He was looking at Allen with a face of stone and walked closer to him.  
  
'I'm sure...' Allen started to say but was cut off when Van's fist collided with his cheek.  
  
'Liar! You can't be sure. Nobody can be sure. How are we sure that he ISN'T going for Hitomi right now, how do we know if it even IS Dilandau that wants the pendant?' Van yelled ferociously, a little hint of sentiment in his voice. Allen rubbed his cheek and stood up.  
  
'Hypotheses ' Allen mumbled. Van's eyes narrowed and he cupped his ear and moved in closer trying to make Allen say it again, even though he heard him the first time. 'What?' Van asked, 'Repeat that.'  
  
'Hypotheses' he shouted into Van's ear.  
  
'Oh that's good! That's RICH! Hitomi could be in danger and all we have to go by is a HYPOTHESES? God what is the matter with you?'  
  
'Van I may be wrong about Dilandau not being able to use it to get to earth but I am not wrong about him not being able to use to find that stupid woman and I am defiantly not wrong about Hitomi, he's not going to go after her!'  
  
'Fine.' Van said though clenched teeth stubbornly. Allen just looked away with a slight grimace against the young king of Fanalia.  
  
*****  
  
'All right, I've seen that girl from the mystic moon do this millions of times.' He thought, holding the pendant to his chest. He was wearing some baggy pants that he'd stolen off someone's laundry line and a long sleeved white shirt. Soon enough a blue light engulfed him, surrounding him completely. There was a bright light, too bight to see out of and soon enough Dilandau felt his feet coming off of the ground and he was sent to, what he believed was, the "Mystic Moon."  
  
*****  
  
Leaunna was walking down the street humming a tune with a bag of groceries in hand, when she heard a sort of muffled moan coming from the bushes beside her.  
  
She stopped and looked around. Then it came again and she looked beside her. Her eyes widened and she cautiously stepped closer. 'Hello?' all she received was another moan. Afraid of what she'd find, either some one seriously hurt, or someone just whacking off in the bushes (which would be highly unlikely), she edged closer. She pushed the bushes apart and there was a man sprawled on the ground behind a row of bushes semi- conscious.  
  
She brought her hand up to her face and placed the groceries on the ground beside her and gasped, 'Oh my god! Are you all right sir?' she kneeled down beside him and shock him. He made some sound of life, but she still shook him until he rolled over and his eyes flickered a little, looking up at her face, which was filled with concern.  
  
'Hi! My name is Leaunna Cartwright. You have most likely been a victim of rape or robbery,' she coughed to clear her throat, 'or perhaps both'  
  
'What?' he asked, sitting up while holding his head, 'I wasn't raped. Was I?'  
  
'I don't know' she shrugged. 'It is awful hard to rape a guy, usually there willing' her expression was blank and her voice was flat.  
  
'Where do you live?' Leaunna shifted weight on her knees looking at the dumbfounded stranger.  
  
'Wha. well. I. umm. very far from here?' he supposed.  
  
'Well, any who you can come to my house, I'll take care of you and then I'll take ya back to where ever the hell ya live.' She smiled sweetly. 'Oh we better hurry up, come with me' she held out her hand, but he didn't grab it, he got up by himself. She closed her hand and brought it back to herself. 'Okay' she whispered to herself.  
  
'C'mon' she yelled, grabbing her groceries and running to a bus stop. The bus started to slow and then come to a stop. She practically dragged the man behind her.  
  
'What it THAT?' he asked, eyes a gleam.  
  
She looked matter-of-factly at him and said with intellect, 'It's a bus. A means of transpiration when Larry can't get off his fat ass and go get his own groceries' she shoved her hand into her pocket and deposited fifty cents into the payment box.  
  
'C'mon' she gestured to him. He shyly walked up the stairs and she grabbed his hand and made him follow her. No matter how he struggled he couldn't escaper her grip, and he didn't exactly want to make a scene so he just followed him to where she lead him too.  
  
The ride was a bumpy, long, and quiet. Maybe a little unnerving, on the man's part.  
Leaunna, however, broke the silence while eating a snickers bar. 'So,' she asked while chewing, waving the chocolate bar around. 'What's your name anyway?'  
  
He looked at her and smiled viscously. 'My name? Why do you want to know?'  
  
'Oh don't be so huff-ay' she complained. 'Oh get ready to get off, my stop is just ahead.'  
  
'How do we get off?' he asked, being completely serious.  
  
'Uh?' she mocked stupidly. 'D'I don't know? Maybe the same we got on?' she rolled her eyes and shook her head and then stood up. 'Come on'  
  
About ten minutes later the man was complaining. 'I want to get his over with' he thought. 'Maybe I should grab her and get it over with. But then that Larry character will be expecting her... after that.' He suggested.  
  
*****  
  
'Larry, I'm home. Here are your stupid groceries.' She yelled to Larry then she turned to the stranger and said warmly, 'Come on in'  
  
'Bring them to me' she heard him yell. She was thinking why he couldn't just get what he wanted and not leave a mess in the living room, but it wasn't as if she cared, she was never in there anyway.  
  
'I'm busy,' she started, 'get off your fat ass and get your own crap!' she yelled back.  
  
'I will slap you bitch,' she could hear footsteps ringing through the household as he came marching.  
  
'You can never keep your god damned mouth shut can ya bitch? I'll teach you a. who the fuck is this?' Larry asked nodding towards the boy.  
  
'This is...a friend' she had forgotten that he didn't have a name or a name that she could call him anyway.  
  
'Friend my ass' Larry walked over to Leaunna and slapped her. She grabbed the edge of the sink for support.  
  
'Hey!' the man said pushing him out of the way.  
  
'I need her. Only I can do that' he emphasized the word I. Leaunna looked shocked and didn't understand but she knew that she her hospitality was over welcomed.  
  
'Umm I think I you should.' she whispered.  
  
'Shut up!' he yelled.  
  
'OK' she whispered quickly. He seemed so helpless earlier.  
  
'Get the hell out of my house all right I don't want any trouble' Larry said. 'If you don't I'll have to make you'  
  
Larry was a tall burly man with his share of love rolls. He had long greasy back hair, which was on its way to turning grey. His small, beady black eyes glared through the man.  
  
The man punched Larry in the face and Leaunna took this time to scoot outside. By now the two men were completely riled up, punching and hitting each other, the dog was braking constantly. Leaunna was outside the door but had to go back in for the dog, she was too afraid she might get hurt. She stood at the door calling and calling and finally when she came, the man grabbed something he thought was a sword and cut Larry's throat, blood spurting everywhere. Leaunna shrieked and grabbed the dog by the collar and ran the dogs of hell were chasing her, and in her opinion their master was.  
  
As fast as she'd gone out that door, he was after her. She was too scared to scream, it was always getting caught in her throat. She been running so hard, so fast and so long that her legs started to turn numb and she started to slow. When she felt a pair of arms around her she screamed as she was thrown to the ground arms getting cut by gravel, the boy landing on top of her.  
  
'Get of me please!' she screamed, her dog barking wildly at the stranger. He kicked the dog and she heard her yelp.  
  
'Don't hurt her' she chocked.  
  
'I like to over-power people, it's fun'  
  
'Your going to rape me, aren't you?' she wiggled beneath him crying like a child. He'd pinned her hands above her head and he was straddled over her.  
  
'I'm not going to rape you.' he said with a smirk. 'Yet. I need you, like I said' he rolled off her and grabbed her arms having her arms and back to his front.  
  
He attempted to knock her out by hitting her in the head but the only thing that happened was a scream of pain, more tears and more struggling. She started to kick and buck her hips weakly.  
  
'Fine' he breathed. Her cheeks were now stained with hot sticky tears.  
  
'Please' she whimpered. 'Don't hurt me' her struggling became weak, and her legs stopped moving; she began to feel tired, her eyes starting to close and she relaxed in his arms falling more into his chest. Taken aback by this he dropped her. She fell to her knees and gagged.  
  
'Get up' he ordered. She looked up at him, all puffy-eyed and red in the face from crying. Her mouth stuck together like her tongue was glue. His face distorted and he narrowed his silver eyebrows. He bent over and grabbed her waist.  
  
'You better hang on, I wouldn't want to drop you now'  
  
'No' she protested quietly.  
  
'Fine, I'll just drop you then' She believed he would do it, but she didn't know where he was going to drop her from, the place was basically desolated except for some corn stocks and a few trees.  
  
The man took out a pendant out of his chest pocket. It was a pearl pink color; Leaunna recognized it but couldn't put her finger on it al all. She saw him raise it above his head and then she could see a faint blue line streaking down from the sky. It swallowed them both up in its beautiful blue light. As she felt her feet come off the ground she whipped her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist putting her face just under his neck where she tightly shut her eyes.  
  
'Gaea?' she whispered before she drifted of into a deep slumber in his arms. 


	4. Beautiful Blue

Chapter 3 Beautiful Blue  
  
From the picture on the wall  
  
To the bedpost that's touched them all  
  
This is where I live  
  
This is where I do my screaming  
  
How do you say, I love you in so many other ways  
  
This is where I live  
  
This is what I do best  
  
*****  
  
Leaunna didn't know why she cried so much. She'd always been strong. She figured that it was everything that had been bottled up inside of her, everything that made her angry, everything that made her sad, finally when she saw him come after her, when she thought he was going to kill her, it was a reason to cry.  
  
She hadn't open her eyes yet, still awkwardly feeling that he was there, but when she smelt the sent of food she couldn't help opening her eyes as it invaded her nostrils. She sat up and looked around there seemed to be no one in this room. It was filled with beads and jars and assortments of certain stuff.  
  
'Ahhhhhhh' came a horse voice with a thick drawl to it, through the bead ropes hanging down in the doorway. Leaunna looked behind her, shocked. In front of her was a fairly tall, very skinny woman with brown hair hanging down around her face, and many wrinkles; she had many beads on and weird looking cloths, from Leaunna's point anyway. She had dark eyes, which sunk into her head and was covered in thick make-up.  
  
'What am I doing here?' Leaunna asked cautiously. Her stomach growled and the old woman looked at her coking her head a little so that her one eye was looking at her like a bird.  
  
'Hungry are we?' she said in an eerie voice that gave Leaunna goose bumps.  
  
'No' her stomach growled again.  
  
'Come with me dear.' She went to grab Leaunna's hand and she pulled away distinctively, still looking at the old woman. 'Come on dear' she said sternly grabbing for her hand, yet again, and succeeding. The old woman's talons digging into her skin.  
  
'Oh don't be so fragile dear, Dilandau wanted to see you'  
  
'Dilandau? This is starting to seem weird." Leaunna thought. The old woman dragged her by the wrist, pulling her closer until they reached a little room where the sent of food was coming from. There was one plate set with food, one was already cleared and there was a man standing by a window, with a sword, cleaning it, looking outside into the vast worthlessness. It kind of reminded her of Phoenix.  
  
'Sit down dear and eat'  
  
'How do I know that it isn't poison?'  
  
'It's not poison, you idiot.' Dilandau said comely, turning around. 'I need you remember? I'm not about to kill you. Just yet'  
  
'Oh so your going to what? Keep me hostage until you've fucked me enough and THEN kill me? What the hell is wrong with you?'  
  
'What?' he said, still not completely understanding what she meant by being "fucked"  
  
'What, what?' she said being forced to sit down.  
  
'I don't exactly get your... language.' Dilandau said though gritted teeth sheeting his sword so he wouldn't do anything that might take away from what he wanted.  
  
She sat down as the table and started to eat greedily. They both watched as she ate. When she noticed she looked up. 'What are ya'll staring at me for?' she wiped her mouth and stood up. 'I think I'll go now' she got up. 'I think you'll stay' Dilandau spat.  
  
'Listen to me and listen well, I need you to bring back my slayers. Then I will find Folken and'  
  
'Folken?' she asked surprised. 'Folken's dead'  
  
'What? How do you know?'  
  
'I've read the book. Folken killed Dornkirk and by the way Hitomi explains it, fate guided the sword right into Folken heart.everything is gone'  
  
'Right then, it'll be worse for you.' He grabbed her shirt and brought her back into the room where she woke up in.  
  
'Sit down dear'  
  
'Would you stop calling her dear' Dilandau harshly yelled to the old lady.  
  
'I'm sorry d- I'm sorry but we're going to need one of you fingers' to their surprise she started to laugh.  
  
'Your joking right'  
  
'No, now which one do you want it to be? This one?' Dilandau reached out and grabbed her middle finger.'  
  
'NO!' she jerked her finger back. 'That finger's too important'  
  
'Hurry up. I'll just pick one'  
  
'You aren't going to cut my finger off.' She replied nervously.  
  
'Fine this one will do' he grabbed her ring finger and took the knife from the table, rolling up the sleeve on her sweatshirt.  
  
'This might sting a little' she struggled too much for him to do anything. He looked at the woman in front of him. 'Do something?' he ordered. She just stared. 'NOW?' he yelled again. Dilandau gave her the knife and grabbed her arms and put her on his lap. He stepped on her feet so that she couldn't kick. The woman took her finger and put it on the top of the table to other four underneath it. She brought it up and them she brought down the blade and cut off her finger she screamed and she cried and she woke up.  
  
Her head was throbbing with a despicable headache. She sat up in bed and rubbed her head. Remembering what had happened previously, she looked at her left hand, all fingers intact. She closed her eyes, breathing heavily.  
  
'A... dream' she whispered though hyphenated breaths. 'Just a simple... dream' she looked at her alarm clock. 'I wonder why it didn't go off!' she screamed in her head.  
  
She flew her covers off and shoved on a pair of flairs, and a baggy sweatshirt and ran downstairs. Larry was sitting in his usual place, by the television, and was watching some kind of game show for old people.  
  
Ever since her mother had divorced when she was eight, re-married when she was nine and died when she was twelve, Leaunna had lived with Larry. The only reason he kept her was that he got money, $ 500 every month in fact, and only used it on himself practically. He said that she was entitled to $ 150 out of that money, and she was grateful.  
  
'Hey!' he bellowed form the living room, 'we're out of groceries. Get some after school'  
  
She stopped and yelled back; 'I just bought groceries,'  
  
'Shut up! We're out of groceries now get them after school'  
  
'Okay. I gotta go, bye' she murmured and slammed the door and left for the bus into town, to get to school.  
  
When she arrived at school everything went so slow, so boring, so unusual for her. She was used to her friends being more open with her, but today they seemed to be keeping something from her. Something that she felt was a big part of her, inside.  
  
She sat through a very boring French class. This class went slower than the others. The teacher drowned on about the making about 'La belle a la bete'. She closed her eyes sleepily, but her friend across from her poked her silently.  
  
The next class that she had was law, then Phys Ed. In this class they played "Ringette". She was the goalie for her team and she watched as her teammates all ran after the round, black, fiber like ring and poked at it like chickens in heat. Finally it came to Math. It wasn't much of a thrill, it just went moderately fast and as the final bell had rung for them to go home, she quickly left the class.  
  
She was walking home, coming back from the mall and was very uneasy about something. She knew something was wrong and she knew that she was going to find out. As she quickened her pace she started to replay things in her head, over and over. About her strange dream and about the way this day had been going just like in her dream just like when she met that stranger.  
  
Leaunna stopped abruptly, and her heart raced.  
  
'This, this is a dream, what had happened to me WAS real!' she dropped the bag and started to run to where she had first met Dilandau. To her surprise, he wasn't there. She leaned against the tree, breathing heavily. Suddenly everything around her stopped. Nothing was moving, nothing was making a sound.  
  
'Strange' a voice came from behind her.  
  
'Wha?' she said, turning around to face a man.  
  
'Its strange' he said again, a deep  
  
'Where am I?' she said calmly, but sternly. 'I know this isn't reality'  
  
'But it is? Isn't it?" he walked ahead of her and turned around again. 'Reality is what you make. You see, your living your life how YOU wanted it to happen before. You didn't want to believe that this was a dream, and as a result, Dilandau wasn't where he was the first time it happened was he?'  
  
'Obviously not' she said with a flat tone, still not taking her eyes off the man.  
  
'But you are right in a way, this is a dream but, it's also your reality'  
  
'I'm sorry?'  
  
'Look over there' Leaunna turned and looked in the direction he was pointing to.  
  
'What? Look at what,' she squinted against the sunlight sunshine towards the figure with a newspaper in his hand, looking like he was trying to get her attention, 'that's my father. He's supposed to be dead.'  
  
'I don't understand' she said turning around back to the man. She stared in shock when she realized that he was gone. Everything was back to normal.  
  
*****  
  
Leaunna awoke with a start and was breathing heavily. She could hear two people arguing. She looked around the dark room and spotted two dark figures and she clutched the bed covers hoping that they didn't hear her wake up. She winced and looked down at her fingers there was an assortment of bandages on her left ring finger and whimpered loud enough for the heated argument to end. One figure looked at her and started to walk over to her, the other remained.  
  
'So, your awake'  
  
'Wow, way to state the obvious' she rolled her eyes, her voice dripping with sarcasm. The man gave a scornful snicker.  
  
'A lot sooner than I thought, now what shall I do with you?' he said bringing his finger and thumb up to his chin and placing it there as if to mock her.  
  
'Maybe you should let her go, you've gotten what you wanted' the other man said. She recognized the voice.  
  
'You' she whispered to the man and then looked at Dilandau. 'Why do you need me?'  
  
'A simple question, yet I will not answer'  
  
'Why not?' she raised her voice.  
  
'Don't you dare yell at me'  
  
'Dilandau' the other man grabbed him and held him back. 'What are you going to do with her?'  
  
'Kill her. She's made me angry, I think I'll do it now!'  
  
'Just let her go' the other man pleaded, 'this wont turn out well'  
  
'Get off me' he pushed the other man away and looked back at Leaunna. She swallowed.  
  
'I'll let her go' Leaunna's eyes were hopeful then he said, 'if she begs enough' he snickered.  
  
'You know,' she spat 'Like I always say, "It's better to die on your feet than to live on your knees"'  
  
'You want to die then?' he whispered though gritted teeth.  
  
'I wanna go home' her teeth were clenched like his. He grabbed her arm and dragged her out of the bed.  
  
'Hey! Let go of me! Hey aren't you going to help me?' she was yelling at the other man while trying to maintain her gravity in one spot and pull back at the same time, but he kept jerking her forward, closer to the door.  
  
*****  
  
After a while of struggling she just gave in and walked with him down the hall. A few times she struggled, the last time she did it her stopped suddenly and pushed her up against the wall and took out his sword, from then on she just walked, never taking her eyes off the hilt of the sword or his hand.  
  
They reached a door and her punched in a code on a pad near the opening of the door and it automatically opened. Then, shoving her in, he murmured, 'now, be good.' he derided and she gave him a look that made him snicker and then it closed again. Leaving her in semi darkness, her only light was a candle in the corner, slowly going down.  
  
This room was very simple it consisted of no windows, one bed in the corner (it reminded her of a small hospital bed, only less comfortable looking,) it had a small table on a table in the corner, which held up the candle, and another table at the foot of her bed with nothing on it.  
  
*****  
  
She walked slowly over the bed and sat down on it and kicked her feet for a while. When she got bored of that she laid down on the bed, feet still over the bed from the knees down. She brought up her left hand and looked at her finger. It didn't hurt as much as she thought. The only thing she really thought about on the topic was why they wanted her finger, she thought that maybe it was because they needed something to torture her with.  
  
She knew Dilandau. He was one of those sadistic, overly excited about pain, pretentious bastard, and sociopath, among other things. She didn't feel the need to be arguing with him more than she is now, he might go hostile. If he isn't already.  
  
She sat up again and rested her hands on her chin and elbows on her knees. It seemed as if she was in there for hours and she was beginning to get really hungry again. She groaned in frustration.  
  
'I'm so unbelievable bored, it's unbelievable' she said aloud to herself. 'I would do anything for a badminton racket, net and birdie, not to mention an opponent.' She stretched her arms, yawned and fell back again, this time face into the gray, thin covers.  
  
'What do they want with me?' 


	5. I Saw You Dancing

Chapter 4  
  
I saw you dancing  
  
Somebody leave the light on  
  
Green limousine for the redhead  
  
Dancing, dancing girl and when I dance for him  
  
Somebody leave the light on just in case  
  
I like the dancing  
  
I can remember where I come from  
  
*****  
  
After a while Leaunna fell asleep, her face into the blanket. She woke up, even more bored then she was before she fell a sleep. She didn't know what to do, she was very hungry and very thirsty so she didn't feel like moving, yet she didn't feel much like staying on her bed anymore either.  
  
'Hmm?' she thought. She grinned. 'Maybe I should try again, for old times sake' she contemplated for a second before jumping up and moving the bed so it was parallel against a wall. She then walked out into the center of the floor and started to dance like she used to before her mother died.  
  
She circled around, doing various jumps, gliding across the floor as if she was on ice. She was so caught up in her ballet that she didn't seem to notice a little someone open the door, stare and then close it again. When she had finished her ballet number she flopped down on the bed, arms laid out flat, chest rising and lowering rapidly. She stayed in that position for a while before she heard the door open and then close.  
  
A young man, fifteen or so walked in and was carrying what looked like wine and bread, food in the matter. Noticing, Leaunna sat up on the bed licking her lips hungrily and not taking her eyes of the plate nor the boy. He looked around at the room and had the expression of 'why the room was moved everywhere' plastered on his face.  
  
'Bored' she said looking down and then back up at the food. 'Is that for me' She looked at the bottle of wine and then grinned a little.  
  
'No, I'm going to eat it in front of you, of course it's for you here' he shoved the plate closer to her.  
  
'How do you get out of here anyway?' she said ripping a piece of bread with her teeth.  
  
'They have an eye scan' he said simply, walking away.  
  
'So if I kill you, take out your eyes and use it to scan my way out of here, it would work?'  
  
'Uh I suppose' he said a little uneasy. 'But how are you really going to kill me when I am the one with sword.'  
  
'Oh so feisty. Totally the opposite aren't you? Do you have any water?' she smelled the wine. 'I don't usually drink wine. Only on special occasions' instead of walking out the boy looked at her in a strange manner.  
  
'No, I'm sure we don't but want did you mean by totally opposite?'  
  
'Whatever' she was sitting cross-legged on the bed chewing on her last piece of bread, she took a swig of wine and then coughed. 'Ew! It burns. Okay, Chesta, I'll tell you, for one thing your supposed to be the 'gentle spirit that is totally loyal to Dilly boy, but anyway, here you are saying that you would probably... I don't even know what I'm talking about anymore. What I'm on about,' she looked slightly dazed. 'Hey do you have any more wine, because this makes ya really, REALLY thirsty.' She giggled. He looked at her in shock she had drunk the rest of the bottle in a mere couple of minutes.  
  
'Hey! Did I ever, nah musta not of told ya, but I can't handle my alcohol very well, and if I drink one glass, I get fairly drunk, so dontcha mind me' She said and giggled again.  
  
'No, I guess not' he answered her slowly.  
  
'Dude, I know how you think, you're a baaaaaaaad little fellow' she snorted.  
  
'I'm- I'm going to go now.' He said and turned around.  
  
'Yeah, okay, tall dark and assless!' she yelled after him.  
  
'WHAT!' he turned around and stared at her in shock. 'What are you talking about? Go to sleep'  
  
'I'll sleep with you' she jumped off the bed and stalked over to him. Chesta froze in mid-stride over to the panel on the door.  
  
She pressed into him and asked him, 'Are you gay? I mean, your ARE very obsessive about Dilandau'  
  
'I'm. Not. Gay' he said and tried to shake her off but she clung on to him. He was a little bit taller and his once pageboy hair cut was shaggy and uncared for. She began to suck on his neck; Chesta was rendered useless for a while until her nibbling brought him back to life.  
  
'Get off!' he grabbed her shoulders and pulled her in front of him. 'I can't do this'  
  
'You can't or you don't want to?' she inquired  
  
'Both.'  
  
'Because your gay right' she said with a higher voice than usual.  
  
'No!' he piped. 'I'm not' she was starting to get on his nerves.  
  
'Prove it then. Show me that you're not GAY'  
  
'I can't, I'm on duty and I should have been gone a while ago.'  
  
'Right! You're gay' she said. Chesta, who'd gotten upset, turned her around and pushed her against the wall, right in front of the scanner.  
  
'Your such a daddy's boy, but not the boy that daddy knows, daddy wont ever have a clue because my lips are sealed. So C'mon prove me wrong, prove to me that you're not gay' she ordered. He bit his lip, it's not like he really had any experience over the past two years because he was dead! The first girl he ever kissed (besides his mother) was when he was ten, before he left for Zaibach. He bent down and pecked her on the cheek.  
  
'There, now get out of the way so I can leave.'  
  
'Oh wow, you stole my heart' she said but didn't moving, sarcasm on every level of her voice.  
  
'Have you ever kissed a girl, and no, sisters, mothers and grade school sweeties DON'T COUNT!' she told him still with a hint of sarcasm in her voice again. He bit the inside of his cheek.  
  
'I guess not...' he trailed off. 'But who cares? I'm a slayer, not a romantic! Get out of my way!' She grabbed his jawbone and neck and brought him down closer to her. She smiled sheepishly and her lips took his. He didn't move but she was all over his wanting more. She hadn't closed her eyes, and neither had he. She kept on pressing her tongue against his lips and teeth, trying to make it deeper but he kept trying to pull away, but she seemed to have a firmer grip on his neck, even with one finger missing then he did on her shoulders. When she decided her tongue had no affect she broke the kiss, moved out of the way and pressed his face into the eye scan. Before he could react the scanner had gotten his DNA and the door opened and she rushed out of there like there was no tomorrow, Chesta on hot pursuit.  
  
*****  
  
She rounded many corners and still was running, she never was any good at track but she knew she was good at long distance running. Even though she was good at running, she was starting to run out of breath, her chest was getting sore, legs had no feeling what-so-ever and before she could stop herself she found herself falling to the floor like a sack of potatoes.  
  
Someone landed near her; she figured they'd fallen over her collapsed body.  
  
'What the?' the voice said.  
  
'Gotcha' came another voice coming form behind the corner.  
  
'What is going on here?'  
  
'L-lord Dilandau sir, Sama, I'm sorry sir'  
  
'Shut up Chesta' Dilandau yelled and slapped him across the face.  
  
'Sorry sir' he squeaked.  
  
'Now can you tell me why she is out of her room where only personnel can get into AND out of hmm?'  
  
'Well sir she kind of se-' Chesta soon found himself kissing the floor again, so to speak.  
  
'It was a rhetorical question you twit!'  
  
'I'm sorry lord Dilandau' Chesta whimpered.  
  
Leaunna nodded in agreement. 'You should be' she stated.  
  
'Shut up' Dilandau said, surprised.  
  
'Okay' she answered quickly. 'I think I'll just go back to my room now' she said as she started to get up.  
  
'You better sit down and bite your tongue girl' Dilandau took control of her and pushed her back on the floor. Dilandau stood there for a minute, Leaunna looked like she was an almighty god because she knew he just going to take her back to that place anyway, and Chesta, well, Chesta just kept his eyes on the floor.  
  
Dilandau sighed after about a minute and grabbed the crevice of her elbow. Leaunna was being practically dragged back to the room, which was a little while away. She was trying to stand up, but kept falling because Dilandau wouldn't stop for her to do so. She was basically crawling on her knees.  
  
'Can I at least get up?'  
  
'No' he tugged at her arm and made her scrap both her knees more than they already were. She tugged back, making him stop, and then help herself up and then started to walk again until she felt something collide with her face.  
  
'Don't start with me' he said though gritted teeth.  
  
'You don't have to hit me!' she yelled. He punched her in the jaw again and this time got a small yelp from her.  
  
'Take me home. I want to go home' He began dragging her again and she started stumbling behind him again, holding her face with her free hand. When they reached the door Dilandau shoved her in after punching in the code.  
  
'How did you get out?'  
  
'...' She kept silent.  
  
'Hey! I'm asking you a question, now answer me or die' she turned around and looked at him.  
  
'I acted drunk and seduced him, is there a problem?' Dilandau stared. 'I think I'll not talk anymore.' she started walking over to her bed when she felt something cold and hard hit her head and she feel to the floor. She blinked her eyes a couple times before they rolled back into her head.  
  
'Humph,' Dilandau grunted. He bent down and picked her up, bringing her over to her bed placing her in it. 'I saw you dancing,' he muttered. 'Very graceful, very graceful indeed' Dilandau stared at nothing in particular and then stood up to leave. 'You're time here will end soon.'  
  
Leaunna woke up in a cold sweat and was breathing heavily. Her room was dark and cold; Leaunna was sitting on top of what she was to believe were the covers, shivering. Her head was pounding again as memories from earlier before came flooding back in. She remembered getting hit in the head, running away (or trying to anyway), getting caught, seducing someone. She pulled her knees up to her chest and rested her chin on them. 


	6. Zombie

Chapter 5  
  
Zombie  
  
Another head hangs lowly  
  
Child is slowly taken  
  
And the violence caused such silence  
  
Who are we mistaken  
  
But you see it's not me  
  
It's not my family  
  
In you head, in your head they are fighting  
  
With their tanks  
  
And their bombs and their bombs  
  
And their guns  
  
In your head, in your head they are crying  
  
In your head, in your head  
  
Zombie, Zombie, Zombie  
  
What's in your head, in your head  
  
Zombie, Zombie, Zombie  
  
*****  
  
Flying back on the crusade from Palas was a long trip for Van. He couldn't help thinking of Dilandau, and how he might hurt Hitomi.  
  
At first it seemed that the days spent in Palas were going to give them no information, but to their surprise they got some valuable information indeed. It just so happens that this phenomenal character Jira, the person who is so remarkable that she can revive people isn't really all that hard to find actually, she just so happens to live in the outskirts of Fanelia.  
  
'She was said to be hard to find, but yet, a five-year-old child knew exactly where she was?'  
  
'Van, he's not five, he's older than that, but that's not the point Van, we want to get there before Celena,'  
  
'Before Dilandau' Van interjected bitterly.  
  
'Dilandau, gets there and ruins everything and the persons life might be in danger.'  
  
'What? Why?'  
  
'Nothing I was just saying that it might...C'mon Van, it's Dilandau'  
  
'I know that, but there's something you're not telling me Allen' Van said sternly, eyes narrowing.  
  
'Yes, but, okay, when you left, Chid told me something that in order to create such a thing, to make someone just rejuvenate from thin air they need the flesh, blood and bone of the gifted. Although, the gifted don't know that they are... or what they are.' Allen looked down. Van looked at him in complete shock as if Hitomi had slapped him again.  
  
'Well, why didn't. You tell me?' he stammered.  
  
'Because you'd blow up about it being Hitomi.' Allen answered calmly. Allen could tell that Van was trying to keep himself from blowing up about it being Hitomi because Allen was right; he would blow up about it being Hitomi. Van didn't want Allen to be right so he remained calm and asked, 'who else could it be?'  
  
'I don't know exactly, we'll just have to find out when we get there alright' Allen said and Van nodded with negativity.  
  
*****  
  
The crusade was slowly landing beside a small cottage in the heart of the forest, it was a dark looking cottage with black, partially rotting wood. It seemed like it was full of life and welcoming yet there was an eerie presence lurking around there.  
  
Allen and Van both unsheathed their swords and cautiously walked closer to the cottage, not speaking and not making a sound until they reached the door, when Allen whispered to the crusaders and told them to stay out here and for Van to come with him.  
  
Inside wasn't much different. It had a calm and serene look but the feel of it was an unnatural being. There was a strong smell of perfumes and rotting meat. Allen and Van were unable to keep their mouths uncovered without hurling; they sheathed their swords and covered their mouths, trying not to breathe. They walked as quiet as they could between the squeaky floorboards and the coughing.  
  
They finally came to a door way covered in stringed beads, some of them were cut off and beads were on the floor. Allen was the first to go in and then Van and as soon as Van walked in he ran right into Allen.  
  
'What are you doing.' Van froze as well when he saw a figure lying on the floor, dead. Van felt his stomach wanting to hurl but he made sure he didn't. The figure was a woman and she was lying on the floor face down, and her head was not too far from its body; everything was covered in files. Beside her on the floor was a small bowl with dried out crushed leaves and a stain on the floor from where the liquid had dried. On the floor also were small bones, which had appeared to be pecked with birds and small animals as with everything else that was in this place.  
  
'They've been here. Damn it' Allen said and left. Van turned to leave but something in the corner caught his eye. It was sparkling brightly in the sun coming that through the broken window. He ran over to it and his eyes enlarged when he saw the gold chain hanging out the drawer. He quickly pulled opened the drawer and gasped at what he saw. Inside was Hitomi's pendant, smashed into unfixable pieces.  
  
'Allen!' he screamed. Allen came running back in.  
  
'What' he coughed.  
  
'Hitomi's pendant' Van showed Allen the remains of the pendant.  
  
'Without that, nobody can come to Gaea' Allen said.  
  
'I don't think that's what he was trying to achieve Allen, this way, nobody can leave Gaea'  
  
*****  
  
Leaunna was sprawled on her bed in her prison staring at the ceiling, unblinking. She had been up since late last night thinking about ways to escape. The only ones she could think of were destroying the scanner and hopping for a malfunction or wait for someone to open the door and plow right through them. Thinking about those ideas for nine plus hours had seemed to be a little unorthodox for her. Nevertheless there was a little hope that she had that might make it work for her except when she escaped before there only seemed to be doors leading to other rooms.  
  
She heard buttons on the other side of the door telling her that someone was going to come in. She thought about moving, to see if her plan would work, she thought about just staying there pretending to be dead and maybe they would dispose of her body somewhere and then she could escape that way. Yet, she didn't move she just lay there and waited for the person to come in, and probably kill her.  
  
'What are you doing? Lost all hope?' the chilling voice rang though her ears.  
  
'Yes, now leave me here to die. Either that or let me use the bathroom or I will die before I want to'  
  
'You need to go to the washroom?'  
  
'I've had to go since I can remember you ass hole' she still hadn't moved from where she was positioned. She turned her head to face him. 'Unless of course you want me to die, I don't think that you need me any more. Do you?'  
  
'Oh? So you want to die now?'  
  
'I didn't say that' she replied flatly. 'But of course it'd be better than staying in this dull room day after day after day. Although you wouldn't know what a vivid room would look like would you?' Dilandau's smiled gleamed.  
  
'Bright red comes to mind' he said.  
  
'Don't you mean blood red? Actually I was thinking pink' she retorted in the same flat tone and again he grinned.  
  
'A bit of distaste wouldn't you say? You know, if you don't like this room you could go to a different room'  
  
'No thanks; I'm happy in the 'Hell Hotel' if you don't mind. Although, now that you mentioned it, I was thinking of something new' she smiled mischievously.  
  
'And that would be?' he asked.  
  
'Being able to go anywhere I want. It seems there is really no exit. And if there was, you think that it would locked with some sort of a code. Hmm?'  
  
'Is that what you want?'  
  
'From you, the only thing' she said. Dilandau smirked and responded, 'No, I like keeping you caged like an animal, it's amusing' Leaunna's nostrils flared and her mind screamed, "AN ANIMAL! WHO DOES HE THINK HE IS?" she struggled to get off her bed to jump him but before she even got off Dilandau knew what she was up to and was ready to stop her from trying to do any damage. She jumped for Dilandau arms out stretched to grasp anything. He was obviously much more cunning than her and grabbed her wrist and before she knew what was happening she was pinned to the wall and being confronted by the person that she was trying to confront in the first place.  
  
'It's best to think twice when doing something rash.' he whispered into her ear.  
  
'Yeah? That's coming for a person who doesn't think at all' she spat.  
  
'Listen to me,' he snorted 'don't push me, I could kill you at any moment if I wanted you know'  
  
'Then why don't you?'  
  
'I'm not, because she doesn't want you dead'  
  
'Who the fuck is 'she'?' Leaunna rolled her eyes.  
  
'You want to roam this small place? Sure. Not like there is going to be anywhere you can go anyway.'  
  
'God you're thick, that's the exactly what I SAID' she yelled. He pressed her shoulders against the wall and she gave a small whimper. 'Get off' she shrieked and with a force she pushed him off in an instant. Dilandau looked shocked for a minute and then grinned again. Leaunna was panting with anger and she didn't take her eyes of him as he walked over to the scanner and then walked out, a minute later the door slid open and he said, 'there you can come and go as you please, just stay out of my way'  
  
'Don't forget to tell your pansy dragon slayers about this'  
  
'I think... I'll let you take care of that'  
  
'Oh C'mon you dick. Just one thing after another?' she slouched her arms and asked again 'Why can't you kill me and get it over with? I don't want to live anymore'  
  
'I've already killed someone'  
  
'Well from what I've heard you like killing... it's what gets you off or something' Dilandau rolled his eyes.  
  
'We've already had this conversation did we not? I think we did so why are you still talking about it? I killed that stupid girl in the forest that greatly brought my dragon slayers back to me and I killed Celena' he said in a very impassive tone.  
  
'Allen's sister? Allen' she said thoughtfully. 'Van. They'll rescue me, I know they will.'  
  
'You'll rescue yourself' Dilandau said and left, leaving Leaunna with a very confused expression on her face. 


	7. Bring Me To Life

Chapter 6  
  
Bring me to life  
  
How can you see into my eyes like open doors  
  
leading you down into my core  
  
where I've become so numb?  
  
Without a soul my spirit sleeping somewhere cold  
  
until you find it there and lead it back home  
  
Wake me up inside  
  
Wake me up inside  
  
Call my name and save me from the dark  
  
Bid my blood to run  
  
Before I come undone  
  
Save me from the nothing I've become  
  
*****  
  
The first thing that Leaunna was to do was to find a bathroom, that took her a while to find it but when she did it was a sweet relief. She searched through the whole base and Dilandau's statement was right, there was no way out of here.  
  
'I need sunlight' she thought as she walked down the empty corridor now looking for something to eat, and if she couldn't find that, someone to bug. She was bored out of her mind and needed to exercise it.  
  
'Okay, think of names from a to z. hmm A, Alex, B, Beth, C, hmmm Caitlin, D. Dilandau?' she shrugged, 'E, Elijah, F... oh this is sooooo stupid why am I doing this' she shoved her hand into half torn pockets and tried to open the next door but it just wouldn't respond to her movement. She shrugged it off and then left.  
  
Leaunna decided to have a bath to ease her mind and body. She slowly found her way back to the bathroom where she went and started to run a bath. She didn't find any shampoo or conditioner, only some soap. She undressed herself and got into the hot water and closed her eyes. The water was soothing and comforting on her aching body. 'I wish I had a book to read' she mumbled. She waited a while before using the soap. When she did, she used it on her hair first, gently lathering it the best she could and trying not to get her finger full of soap. Then she used it on her body.  
  
Afterwards, she stood up and stepped out of the tub and she grabbed the nearest towel, she gave a little growl at the size of it. She quickly dried her hair, put the towel around her body and pulled her hair back into a tress. After she grabbed the towel and dried the top of her body and then finished the rest of her body. She got dressed into her cloths and then picked up the towel and in shock, dropped it. She stared at it, crumpled on the floor and on it was blood.  
  
She suddenly became aware that she had a lot of blood coming from her underneath her fingernails. She rushed through the door and rushed down the hall to find someone who might be able to help her. She didn't know exactly why it didn't hurt until she noticed it but it sure as hell hurt now. It was starting to burn, as if she had lost her whole fingernail on each finger.  
  
She went to the locked door that she couldn't get into before and started banging on it over and over again, screaming. Eventually the door slid open and on the other side stood five Dragon Slayers looking at her, others trying to get a glimpse.  
  
'I'm bleeding' she said simply. As she said that they all looked down at her hands. The first slayer in front grabbed her wrist and dragged her down the hall.  
  
'Uh. hey!'  
  
'The sooner you see him about this the better you'll be.' He said.  
  
'Listen to Gatti, he took medical training, well that was for only a little while, come to think of it, it really didn't do him any good at all' said Guimel thoughtfully.  
  
'Guimel?' said Gatti turning around. 'Do you mind'?  
  
'C'mon, can't you at least no drag me?' Gatti stopped and then let her go. 'And aren't you going to ask me why I'm out of my room?'  
  
'No, Lord Dilandau told us that he let you out'  
  
'Okay, good, now where are you taking me?'  
  
'To Lord Dilandau'  
  
'What? Don't you have some sort of Medical Bay? What about my continuous bleed that doesn't seem to be coagulating?' She screamed.  
  
'Well,' Chesta started, 'Lord Dilandau said that if something like this ever happened, and he said that it might then to bring you to him, and then he slapped me for some reason.' he finished thoughtfully.  
  
'Chesta, he slapped you because you asked too many questions. Herm, for instant,' Guimel mocked Chesta's voice, 'Sir, um Lord Dilandau, uh why would she start bleeding anyway?' Chesta punched him hard in the arm.  
  
'Can't you two grow up at all? I mean, I am standing here bleeding to death.' She stood gawking at them, blood pooling around her feet. They started moving once again and all conversation stopped when they reached some door that had a red button underneath a speaker Gatti pushed it in and held it.  
  
'Dilandau sir' he said.  
  
'What?' the voice came after a few seconds.  
  
'You might want to see this, sir' he replied. A few seconds silence and the door opened, Dilandau stood in front looking at the three dragon slayers and the half-awake Leaunna. He looked down and noticed the blood. He gave a snicker and pulled her into the room. He continued to look at the other Dragon Slayers.  
  
'Dismissed' he said.  
  
'Sir' Chesta squalled and the three of them ran off back to their rooms.  
  
Dilandau brought her over to his bed, which looked the same as hers, and set her down on it. She swayed.  
  
'What happened?'  
  
'I didn't know you cared' she said drowsily.  
  
Dilandau inhaled impatiently, 'Well?' he said roughly.  
  
'I took a bath, god, and when I got out I dried off and I found out I was bleeding'  
  
'You went in water?'  
  
'No stupid, I had a DRY bath, with air'  
  
'That's the reason,' he left and was gone for a good five minutes. When he returned Leaunna was lying down across his bed, blood seeping through the top covers. In his hand he was carrying container of water.  
  
'Here let me see your hand' she pushed her right hand towards him and he grabbed it and poured the water on it.  
  
Her hand began feel like it was burning now to go along with the aching. Her nails slowly went from oval shapes to long claw like fingernails and it trailed up her arms into her shoulders and into her neck trailing up to her ears and making her scalp tingle, down the other side and into her other hand leaving it the way it was though. It continued down her back and two sets of wings came and a little further down, just under her tailbone came three tails. Making it's way down to her feet, making them into horse hooves and changing her hair into pure light.  
  
Leaunna closed her eyes and when she opened them they were pure white. She moved faster than Dilandau ever could to the door and cut right through the steel and ran left, down the hall. Dilandau still stood there dumbfounded. 'That wasn't supposed to happen'  
  
Leaunna ran right for the first door that she came to and pushed it right down. She stared at the first person that was in her way and slashed him across the chest. He screamed in pain and feel to the floor, his breathing coming out in sharp gasps. Everyone else in the room backed against the wall and two of the boys were with the injured one. She stalked over to a glass container and looked inside it and dumped it's contents out. She searched through them and then she screamed in frustration and threw it against the wall.  
  
'WHERE IS IT' she growled and picked up the closest dragon slayer her white eyes penetrating his brown ones.  
  
'Wh- what where's what?' He asked.  
  
'The-' she dropped him as soon as she felt a sharp pain in the side of her neck and felt liquid flow though her veins. Her muscles tensed and relaxed over and over again until she couldn't stand anymore and she fell to the ground where she passed out.  
  
'Lord Dilandau, I think Gatti is dea- dead sir' Miguel said. Dilandau's face distorted and he picked up Leaunna.  
  
'Find Folken, and get him to him. He might be able to do something' 


	8. Alone In The Universe

Chapter 7 Alone in the universe  
  
Jamie's on the bathroom floor she don't know why  
  
She's shaking underneath the sink can't feel a thing  
  
She'd love to live a life she's afraid of failure  
  
With all the voices in her head  
  
Now what was that I thought I hear you scream?  
  
I know you can feel it  
  
You're already there  
  
Asleep underwater  
  
Just screaming for air  
  
I know you can feel it  
  
You're already...  
  
Don't you know we're freaks and creatures  
  
Wake up I can almost see the light  
  
*****  
  
Van and Allen were walking back from the cottage, the gruesome discovery and Hitomi's destroyed pendant.  
  
'I know there is still some good in Dilandau; I know Celena will shine though. She's broke him before and she can break him again'  
  
'Right genius, may I remind you who was captive of her body for ten years?'  
  
'Shut up Van, he can't be that strong, he's only been Dilandau for a few days.'  
  
'How far from here do you think he is?' Van inquired.  
  
'He could be anywhere by now, Van' Allen answered.  
  
'I say we search the entire forest, he couldn't have gotten far, and he surely doesn't have the floating fortress, he has to be on a base somewhere on ground' Van said matter-of-factly.  
  
'And you know this how?'  
  
'Well how do you know he could be anywhere?'  
  
'Come on Van, its logic'  
  
'I still say we search this place, we're bound to find something.'  
  
'Okay, we'll search the area and then we'll take the crusade and look in the air.' Allen compromised.  
  
'Right! I'll go north, and um half the crusader's can go west and the other east and you well, lets see, North, east, south. South! You can go south!' Van said, as heroic as possible.  
  
'Okay Van,' Allen said and then yelled, 'Gaddes,' when he heard a reply he yelled back, 'Split up into two groups, one go east and one go west and look for anything suspicious.' He heard an 'Ok Boss!' and some loud shouting and when it finally died down Allen looked to Van, nodded and headed to what appeared to be south and Van went North.  
  
The second group of the A-crew seemed to be walking in circles while Gaddes' group was walking right into a dead-end river, Allen wasn't really getting anywhere and Van ran into something.  
  
Van sat up and shook his head. He looked around to what he could have run into. There was nothing. He quickly stood up and looked around, un- sheathing his sword. There was no answer. He looked in front on him and saw nothing. There was nothing. Van said to himself, 'I must of tripped or something.' He started walking forward again when he walked into something again. This time Van stared at it in disbelief and then he reached out his hand and it collided with something. A small smile played at the corner of his lips as he took his sword and made a big gash in the stealth material.  
  
He looked at the material and started to rip at it, he tried looking for an entrance but he couldn't find one. He knew that there was a secret door or something so he stared tapping on it.  
  
The tapping awoke Leaunna. She blinked her eyes. She felt incredibly weak and incredibly sick. She fought to mumble the words, 'What' when she thought that someone was knocking on the door, but no one answered. A few seconds later the tapping stopped and she wanted to sit up but she was unable to. She could barely open her eyes she was tired too. The only thing she could do was breath and think about where she was.  
  
She heard the door open and she pried her eyes open and looked towards the door. She saw two blurry figures and then one left, the other one walked towards her.  
  
'Drink this' he said.  
  
'I can't'  
  
'Drink it' he repeated. 'Here, open your mouth' she shook her head.  
  
'Please?' her eyes began to focus upon the figure. He was one of the dragon slayers. He had dark eyes and hair, down to his shoulders with a very posh appearance.  
  
'Help me up. I'll drink it myself' she muttered. He put the glass down on the table beside her put his hand behind her back and pushed her up. Once she was up he shoved the pink, thick liquid in her hands. She moaned. 'What is this?' she asked lazily. 'Pepto bismol?' The slayer looked at her weird and then started to speak again.  
  
'Lord Folken wants you to drink this. He says it will clear up your head, then Lord Dilandau will come in, he needs to explain things to you' he said. 'Now drink it' he sounded stricter.  
  
She opened her mouth and poured the liquid in and tried hard to swallow it.  
  
'Ick!' she said.  
  
'Lord Folken wants you to finish it all, in order for it to work' he said. 'Do not spit it out or pour it somewhere all right. I'm going to leave and Lord Dilandau will be here soon'  
  
'One question' she said as he turned to leave.  
  
'Hmm?'  
  
'Why do you call him 'Lord' Dilandau?' the dragon slayer looked absolutely shocked and appalled at her question.  
  
'Lord Dilandau is our captain, I can't call him anything else' he was totally serious.  
  
'Okay' she responded and he left. She unwillingly finished her "drink" and then set it down on the table and lay down on the bed again just as the door opened.  
  
'Are you asleep' Folken asked. She looked over and then replied simply, 'no.' Folken walked over to her. She rolled over and looked at him. She blinked a few times and then said, 'that's some stuff, I feel better already' He looked over to the cup which was empty.  
  
'Did you drink it all?' asked Folken.  
  
'Unfortunately yes. What's in it anyway'  
  
'Nothing of Importance, just some spices and potent healing herbs' he looked at her.  
  
'Do you know who Dilandau is?'  
  
'Ya' she gave him a weird look. 'Dilandau: some freak that used to be a sadistic twit and wanted badly to kill,' she sighed, 'Van, and now is just some kind of softy!'  
  
'No.' he said. She pouted and gave him a questioningly look. 'I know that you have read a book about this place. Hitomi did what she shouldn't have; write about a land that doesn't exist on her planet. Are you aware of the name Celena by any chance?'  
  
'Allen's little sister' she whispered  
  
'Yes, She was fighting the devil for years, and I guess he overpowered her again.'  
  
'But, He lost her when she was five not fifteen' she said shocked.  
  
'Precisely, Zaibach better known as Dornkirk, wanted an elite squad of Dragon Slayers to help take over Gaea until he was ready to use his fate altering machine, and if I had known what he was up to three years ago, I would have stopped him sooner'  
  
'Just say I feel bad for him, I'm not exactly sure what he wants right now'  
  
'Oh' she said and looked down.  
  
'Anyway, I think Dornkirk just had his eyes set on Allen's sister I guess and the sorcerers used her as their model. Dilandau was experimented on every day and that is what turned him into a blood thirsty, aggressive, little brat that killed millions of people. Now I think that he isn't as strong as before and Celena is waiting for the right moment when she can come out again and make sure that he will stay that way forever'  
  
'Charming story Folken' Leaunna looked up almost in tears when she saw Dilandau standing at the doorway, arms crossed and looking quite impressed. For some reason she felt so bad for him, all the pain he went though, all his suffering, it wasn't really his fault. She just wanted to take him in her arms and hold him there for eternity.  
  
'Why are they here again then, I thought you all died?'  
  
'They did' Dilandau answered for Folken. 'But with you, I brought them back to life, well, that stupid witch in the forest did, but I took care of her, I didn't really trust her'  
  
'Is that who you were talking about when you said you couldn't kill me?'  
  
'What?'  
  
'You said you couldn't kill me because you already killed somebody or something like that I think'  
  
'Whatever'  
  
'If you really want to hear what happened, I'll tell you. It's true that Celena had finally freed herself from my wrath but it was only a matter of time before I came out again and was going to keep her body from her forever until I die and there is absolutely nothing she can do about it because I am much more stronger than she is now and I have more will power that Celena ever did'  
  
'You ARE Celena, you can't have any more or any less power than what she has, in fact you probably have less, if any!' Leaunna said, disgusted.  
  
'Right and you are the one that is able to say that right? Demon!' He shouted back, equally disgusted.  
  
'What?' she breathed.  
  
'You're a demon. On the Phantom Moon you were fine since dragon energists don't exist, but since you've come back to your planet of origin, it wants to be freed from its self inflicted prison and that'll start out slow, you know, by getting wet or too cold, then eventually it'll have complete control over you and you wont have any power over it'  
  
'H- how can this...be. I'm not a thing, a demon. Am I?' she asked looking at Folken. He nodded.  
  
'Celena,' Folken started. 'Celena's mother was just like you, although she was one who was able to control it, become it when ever she wanted but it eventually it killed her. This happened because her will of finding her daughter and the will of the demon inside her just became too much for her. Your mother was the same way as well'  
  
'Your mother was part of an ancient demonic summoning tribe that dated back at least nineteen years ago. The following couple of years you were born, in that particular tribe every female child is sacrificed to become a sort of demon, which will, like Dilandau said, take over your body.  
  
'Your mother, however, wanted more for you, so she summoned a column of light that brought you to another planet, where Dragon energists don't exist, a place called the Earth, if I am correct but more commonly spoken as the Phantom Moon.  
  
'What your mother did was a very offensive thing to do, so they tortured her until she told them where you were, but she never did, and so they killed her. What ever happened between those fourteen years I don't know but your mother never sealed off the light that connected the two worlds and as a result, Hitomi Kanzaki's pendant reacted with your mother's power, bringing her here.'  
  
'Now, you might wonder what Dilandau needed with your finger. Demon blood is especially potent, as such, demon blood is also the base ingredient in most potions.'  
  
'So what your saying is, that I'm going to die all because this dumb ass loser brought me back to Gaea so he could bring back his petty soldiers so he can...what exactly ARE you going to do with them?'  
  
'You'll see, but right now you're coming with me' Dilandau said and grabbed her arm and dragged her down the hall.  
  
'What? Where are you taking me?'  
  
'In here' Dilandau pushed Leaunna through a door and in front of her were many beds and in the far left one she saw a figure lying in the bed breathing heavily and un-steadily.  
  
'You did that, yesterday' Leaunna looked almost uncaring but was shocked.  
  
'I did that?'  
  
'He'll die, eventually. Unless.'  
  
'Unless what?'  
  
'You give him blood'  
  
'Blood?'  
  
'Yes. Your blood and mine'  
  
'Why yours' she asked.  
  
'Mine as well, since Celena must be a part of me somewhere' Dilandau looked almost unwilling to say that.  
  
'Glad you finally excepted that'  
  
'All right, so what do I do? Cut myself open?'  
  
'Yes, that's about the right'  
  
'Okay, I'll help him, I guess'  
  
Leaunna walked over to a table and grabbed a knife that was sitting on it and brought it back over to where she was standing.  
  
'Here?' she asked holding the knife just above the inside of her elbow. Dilandau nodded. She ripped though the few layers of skin, her blood pouring. She winced. Dilandau held up a tin cup where he let some blood poor in and the he pulled it away, handing her a towel.  
  
He cut himself open and let his blood poor in as well. Then he added some different herbs. It started make green smoke.  
  
'I hope this works' Leaunna whispered. 


	9. Desert Rose

Chapter 8  
  
Desert Rose  
  
I dream of rain  
  
I dream of gardens in the desert sand  
  
I wake in pain  
  
I dream of love as time runs through my hand  
  
I dream of fire  
  
those dreams that tie to a horse that will never tire  
  
And near the flames  
  
the shadows play in the shape of the man's desire  
  
This desert rose  
  
Whose shadow bears the secret promise  
  
This desert flower  
  
No sweet perfume that would torture you more than this  
  
And now she turns  
  
this way she moves in the logic of all my dreams  
  
this fire burns  
  
I realize that nothing's, as it seems  
  
*****  
  
Leaunna stayed in her room staring, unblinking; at the ceiling for hours thinking about what they had said and wondered if it was even true. If all her life she's lived as someone else daughter, that she's never even known who her real mother OR father was. It wasn't like it really mattered much they were probably both dead anyway, and her fake-mother that had raised her died as well, and Larry, he wasn't even close to a father figure, but it didn't matter he wasn't alive anyway.  
  
She looked down at her arm and wondered if Dilandau was just toying with her and his slayer was really all right, maybe he just wanted her blood so he could do something to kill or hurt someone with.  
  
She rolled off her bed and rubbed her eyes, she didn't remember the last time she'd slept. She walked over to the door and it slid open. She closed her eyes for a moment and tried to remember where Dilandau had taken her the night before.  
  
She walked down the hall looking at all the doors. 'The all look the same' she muttered. 'How am I supposed to find ANYTHING?'  
  
She figured she check the next few doors since this is about how far she'd remember walking. She opened the first room to be looking at a practice room and then she went to the next door, which appeared to a bathroom of some sort and then finally she went to the next one. Inside this room was a bed and a table. 'It looks just like a cell' she thought. She walked over to the table where there was a piece of paper. Leaunna looked around to see if anyone was coming and then picked it up.  
  
"Dilandau,  
  
I realize that you have indeed come back to Gaea, yet I do not know what plans you have for the future. Hopefully, however, they do not concern Fanelia, Freid, Palas or Asturia.  
  
It has also come to my attention that besides all Zaibach solders you have girl with you, someone from the Phantom Moon. We know, also, what she is; as-such, that come as no surprise to you that she is dangerous. So for the safety Gaea, you will annihilate her.  
  
King Chid"  
  
Leaunna dropped the sheet, mortified. Dilandau had intended to kill all this time. That she was just the side dish of his fancies. She figured he was only 'joking around' so to speak when he said he was going to kill her before.  
  
'Sneaky bastards, aren't they' Dilandau said wryly. Leaunna spun. Out of breath she managed to say, 'How long have you been standing there?'  
  
He gave her a wicked smile, 'Long enough'  
  
'Are you going to kill me like the letter says?'  
  
'Maybe, maybe not. What are you doing here?'  
  
Leaunna was at a loss of words. What was she doing there? 'I was looking for... that guy. I wanted to see what else I could do to help' her voice was meek and frail.  
  
'There's nothing more you can do, if he dies; he dies, if he lives; he lives. I'm not quite god, but so close it scares me' Leaunna laughed sarcastically at him.  
  
'Get out' he ordered.  
  
'What?' Leaunna asked, a little taken back.  
  
'I said, get out. I don't want you in here; in fact you weren't supposed to be in here. You should have left when you saw that it was different.'  
  
'Oh shut up! Don't tell me that it's different, cause it's identical, the only reason I didn't mistake it for mine is because there was a letter on the desk. I don't know about here but random letters popping up on peoples desks isn't a common thing!'  
  
'Well if you could read then maybe you would have seen the plaque on the door titled "Capitan"' He shouted back at her.  
  
'Yeah? Well, you have stupid hair!' she blurted.  
  
Dilandau sputtered, 'So do you! Demon', he shouted, not wanted to be defeated.  
  
'I'd rather be demon than half male half female. Say, since we're on the topic, are all the parts in working order?' she jeered.  
  
'Why don't you come and find out?' Leaunna's mouth hung open she was again at a loss of words.  
  
'Now, like I said. Get. Out'  
  
Leaunna started to walk out, completely stunned. She couldn't believe that Dilandau would even think about saying something like that to her, to a girl! She walked back to her own room and sat down on her bed  
  
'How did Chid find out about me? I always thought that he was so nice, so innocent. The way that Hitomi described him but it seems that Hitomi didn't really tell the truth at all. She was lying the whole time, but that doesn't matter because the damage that she caused is over and done with. Even the damage should have been permanent.' She thought. 'I'm hungry.' She sat up and rested her elbows on her knees and looked around.  
  
'I think I will go and eat something if there is even something to eat. They must have something to eat; I'll just go find something I guess. They must eat once and a while.' She got up off her bed and then walked out of her room again and walked around using her senses to find food.  
  
She wondered around until she came to a familiar dent in the door. She winced when she saw it. Memories flooded her mind as she went to open it of the nights before. Of what she did when she was nothing like herself, so primitive. She brushed it away and then opened the door.  
  
In the room were two guys. One was sleeping and the other one was polishing his sword. He looked up. A very blank expression on his face he said, 'Yes? May I help you?' He was almost nervous when he said it.  
  
'Food?' she said, more as a question than a statement. 'I am really hungry, please. If you don't... mind' she asked shyly. He looked at her, blue eyes captivating her own. He threw down his sword on the bed and stood up never taking his eyes off her, and then he said, 'Come with me' he said. Leaunna looked towards the floor and replied, 'Okay' just as shyly before.  
  
Ever since the incident with Gatti, she always thought that the Dragon Slayers hated her, which, of course, was probably true. That, however, didn't interfere too much with her hunger.  
  
'So,' she said after about two minutes of walking downwards. 'Who was the one that I hurt the other night?'  
  
'Gatti' he replied grimly. Leaunna nodded.  
  
'Oh, and what is your name?' she asked quietly.  
  
'Miguel' he answered.  
  
'Cool' he looked at her strangely. 'A saying they say on the Ear- Phantom Moon'  
  
'Who's "they"' He asked.  
  
'Oh everybody on the Mystic Moon. You know, the whole world mainly' she shrugged and he nodded.  
  
'Well this is the place where we eat, I hope you can make something for your self because I'm not really a good cook, so find something to eat and don't get lost on the way back' He said and left with a quick turn.  
  
The room was dark and quiet. She opened the door and peered in.  
  
'There were eight slayers in that room' she thought aloud, 'Now where are the other six? One is hurt, so where are the other five then?' she shrugged it off and carried her business in finding food. She looked around and the only thing that she could find was some spices, flavoring, herbs, sauces, bread and wine. She remembered a couple days ago that's what she had, and she figured that it wasn't really that bad so she decided to have it again.  
  
She sat at a table eating miserable. All she really wanted for some time was to go out side feel the sun on her face, something that she hadn't felt for some time. She wondered what Dilandau really wanted with her and if he was just toying with her like a caged animal, and when he gets bored he'll just kill and dispose of her. Out of all the possible outcomes that was the most plausible, from her eyes anyway.  
  
*****  
  
She couldn't help but get lost when she walked back and she knew that it had to be past midnight or even two in the morning. She heard a small cry coming from the room beside her. She stopped in mid-stride and listened more carefully. When she found out where it was coming from she pressed her ears against the door. She could her the faint whisper of someone's name.  
  
'Jajuka' Leaunna's face distorted with confusion. 'Jajuka?' she thought as she slowly peered in the room. It seems that Dilandau must have heard her, since he was sitting up in the small, uncomfortable looking bed.  
  
'Oh!' she gasped, covering her mouth. 'I just heard something in here and I thought that someone was in trouble or something like that, you know I'm really sorry, Dilandau'  
  
'What did you hear?' He asked when she was about to leave.  
  
'A name.' She answered back, not sure if that was the right answer to give.  
  
'Let me guess, Jajuka?'  
  
'Yes' she whispered and walked in some, letting the door slid shut behind her.  
  
'Who was he?'  
  
'Didn't that stupid girl from the Phantom moon write about him? I would have imagined that she would have'  
  
'No, she didn't. I would have remembered reading something about him since I've read the book five times or so'  
  
'Some person Celena knew, I didn't know him'  
  
'Are you lying?' she toyed.  
  
'No' she smiled at his answered.  
  
'Yes you are. I can see it in your eyes'  
  
'You can't even see my eyes.'  
  
'You'd be surprised what I can see' she said and Dilandau looked at her funny which made her giggle.  
  
'Are you drunk?' He questioned. Leaunna stopped instantly and put on a serious face.  
  
'No. Are you?'  
  
'Have you had anything to drink you seem a little light headed'  
  
'Are you worried about me?'  
  
'No,' he said quickly, 'I just have serious training in the morning with my slayers, have to check on one that nearly died and have to keep an eye on you, so that's how it is, I'm not worried about you'  
  
'Well why not?' she shouted furiously at him. He stared at her in bewilderment.  
  
'Excuse me?' he stood up, he was wearing his "Leather Pants", nothing else and started to walk over to her in a quick pace. He grabbed her shoulders and guided her towards the wall beside the door.  
  
'If you think for ONE minute that I'm a kind-hearted, warm-blooded man who isn't afraid to disembowel you right here on the spot then you must have read something wrong in your little fantasy book girl, because I am NOT playing around when I have work to do'  
  
'Yeah, well kill me th- thachew!' he let her go immediately and looked at her. She sneezed again, and then again.  
  
'Oh' she said, sniffing in. 'excuse me. I'm mostly allergic to flowers and chocolate but I don't see how these things can be in here.'  
  
'Flowers? Roses'  
  
'Yeah, I do smell roses, why do you smell like roses?'  
  
'Because I have roses, over there' he pointed to three roses on the table that looked half-dead, but still with there tangy-sweet smell.  
  
'Ha ha balderdash, honestly, some man like you loves- achew- roses? What a kick in the pants!'  
  
'What exactly are you talking about hmmm?'  
  
'Boys aren't supposed to like flowers, girls are. And boys, are supposed to give the flowers to the girls.'  
  
'Is that a fact?'  
  
'Yepers!' she sang. 'Well, I'll let you get back to your "beauty Sleep" darling' she said sarcastically.  
  
'Are you implying something?'  
  
'Me? Little old me? Implying something? Like what?'  
  
'I don't know, maybe that I'm gay or something'  
  
'You look chipper to me!' she said mockingly. 'But then again, homosexuality is nothing to joke about it, unless, you are and you are completely comfortable with it that is'  
  
'Can you get out?'  
  
'Hmmm? No' she retorted. He looked at her with disbelief.  
  
'What?'  
  
'You heard me'  
  
'You're a little low in the world be making statements like that are you not?'  
  
'No, aren't you a little full of yourself? Really Dilandau, I feel like sleeping in here tonight, and you know what, I think I will. Also, I don't think you need these roses' she walked away from him to his bedside table where she found the note earlier. She picked a rose and turned around and she went flying to the floor.  
  
It was the second time Dilandau had hit her and it felt just as painful. The rose landed somewhere beside her and Dilandau crushed it with his foot. Leaunna sat up again and held her cheek. 'What did you do that for?'  
  
'Lets just say I felt like it' Leaunna looked up and for the first time in a while she looked right into those cold, piercing, melancholy, magenta eyes and they stared back, unfazed.  
  
Leaunna stood up and walked over to him. 'Why do you push people around?' she asked calmly.  
  
'Because I can' was his answer.  
  
'Is that it?'  
  
'...'  
  
'Well, I'll take your silence as a yes, you are certainly right, I only push people around because I'm a stupid git, and I own no feelings what so ever and I don't love anyone and I never will because I am a HEARTLESS, CARELESS and UNLOVING person who shouldn't be-' Leaunna stopped in mid-sentence when Dilandau grabbed her throat.  
  
'You don't know gist of it, of anything. You are nothing more than a stupid little girl with a heart, that will soon enough be engulfed by darkness that is taking over your body as we speak' he spat. Leaunna struggled a bit. 'Now listen to me, you are going to go sit down over there and you are not going to move, if you do, I will gut you like a fish' Leaunna obediently but reluctantly walked over to the bed and sat down.  
  
'Good girl' he said manically. 'Now, someone has been here and has obviously heard something of our being around and I have no doubt that it was Van or one of his ridicules friends. Now, you wouldn't know anything about this would you?'  
  
'Yeah, everyday' she answered back sarcastically.  
  
'I don't feel like playing games with you, but if you want to play we can arrange it. How about you hide and if I find you I can cut your other fingers off. What's your problem anyway?'  
  
'Oh goodie, hide and go Seek with a twist of anger management. My favorite' Leauuna's face distorted and she held her side in pain.  
  
'What's wrong?'  
  
'My side, it hurts, like something is stabbing me' Dilandau went to her side in an instant and pushed her down on the bed and pulled her shirt up half way.  
  
'He- hey! What are you doing' she pulled her shirt back down.  
  
'Well what do you expect me to do? Let me see'  
  
'No! I'm fine'  
  
'No you're not, now let. Me. See. It' He again yanked her shirt up, but this time way over her head. She made a fuss by screaming, kicking, pumping her arms up and down, and shouting. Well she threw a full-blown temper- tantrum. He held her arm down and her other one was caught under her other side when he had turned her over on her side.  
  
'What the-' he said.  
  
'What? What is it?'  
  
'I don't know. There is something under your skin.' Dilandau said, still examining it. Her reached down and touched it.  
  
'Ah' she screamed. 'What did you do?' she was turning around, trying to see what he had done.  
  
'I didn't do anything, it just came through your skin, and it almost looks like a horn or something'  
  
'What? Ah, it hurts do something!'  
  
'What am I supposed to do' he shouted in anger and frustration. 'Stay here and try not to bleed on anything' he said and left.  
  
'Now I'm bleeding?' she shouted after him. She stayed in that position for sometime before he came back.  
  
'Are you okay?'  
  
'Yes, peachy-fucking-keen, jellybean. I have something sticking out my side and you-'  
  
'Okay, shut up. This might- actually this will hurt very much... and I'll probably enjoy you screaming, but this has to be done' He touched the spick/horn thing coming out of her side, it was almost like cartilage, and it was full of blood. He went to the bottom of the spick and held the cold edge of the sword against it and in one swift movement cut it off. He muffled her screams with his hand.  
  
After he was done he wrapped her waste in gauze and some other medical equipment.  
  
'Why did you do that?' she asked.  
  
'Do what?'  
  
'I don't know, save my life?. what was it anyway?'  
  
'I think it was part of yourself, demon you'  
  
'You didn't answer my question' she said weakly.  
  
'You didn't answer mine'  
  
'Hmm? What question?'  
  
'Earlier I asked you what your problem was, and you still haven't answered me why you were in here and being very disrespectful to me'  
  
'Well, I- I was going to a- I don't know' she said finally staring at the floor. She felt the weight of another person on the bed beside her.  
  
'Because I don't want you to die' he said.  
  
'Hmm?' she looked at Dilandau who was sitting beside her crossed- armed and his gaze penetrating her own.  
  
'The answer to your stupid question.' She didn't say a word. She just stared at him. He tried to read her face but couldn't. 'You can leave now, I need to get some sleep'  
  
Leaunna leaned over and grabbed his neck and brought her lips to his. She didn't care that he would most likely push her away or say something. She just wanted to show him her appreciation. She stopped when she felt a hand on her opposite side. Dilandau was staring at her and she was staring back. Those Magenta eyes that once had no feeling now had no mask to cover them. This time he was the one to move, he placed his other hand on her back and pushed her towards himself. He brought his hand that was on her waist and cupped her face. She looked at him, unsure if he was going to push her off the bed and tell her to get out again or if he was going to kiss her.  
  
He did. He kissed her on the lips. She closed her eyes and when she did, she didn't see any sign of him closing his. She roamed her hands over his back until she reached his neck with both hands. He laid her down on the bed and stopped and looked at her.  
  
'I love you' he said. Leaunna still hadn't said a word yet and she wasn't sure whether or not he was going to do anything but she was sure he wasn't. But somehow during that night they were fixed in an emotional union, which bonded them more then they could have imagined. (In other words they had sex.) 


	10. Doppelganger

Chapter 9  
  
Doppelganger  
  
Who comes to me wearing my own face  
  
As dull as ache with eyes of empty space  
  
What is its name, why this restless haunt  
  
What do you want?  
  
Doppelganger  
  
What have I done that you come to me?  
  
Your vacant stare takes the soul of me  
  
Your frigid grip, rigid claws that clutch  
  
I fear your touch  
  
Doppelganger  
  
*****  
  
Leaunna opened her eyes to a dark room. Memories of the previous night that made her blush and she quickly remembered where she was, but Dilandau was nowhere to be found. She sat up and felt warm instead of her cold shell that was always carrying around her, and not to mention a little sore. Still she couldn't believe that Dilandau said he 'loved her', he didn't say that he liked her, or that he wanted to be with her he said that he 'loved her' and she didn't say anything back. She pondered if was true.  
  
'Not very plausible' she whispered and got out of bed and pulled on her cloths. 'But not unlikely.' She wondered what she'd do today. Maybe Dilandau would let her go outside, since he cared for her and he let it show, or maybe not.  
  
She shrugged it off and wondered about looking for Dilandau. She had a fine idea of where he was so it wasn't that big of a deal. First off she would check around for the training room since she remembered him mentioning it last night. She carried her way down the halls looking in random rooms until she came across the right door. It was lined with gold and wasn't much like the other doors. It pushed open instead of automatic. Leaunna pushed it open and stood there watching some of the Dragon Slayers fencing. Dilandau standing in the corner and watched the Dragon Slayers work hard at what they were trying to achieve. All he was doing was standing there spinning the epee in his hand.  
  
She figured he hadn't noticed her, but she didn't catch the pair of eyes that followed her every movement Leaunna made over to him.  
  
'Good Morning' she sang.  
  
'Get out of here. Now.'  
  
'Pardon me?' she asked, a little shocked by his un-concerned tone.  
  
'I told you to get out, you're not supposed to be in here'  
  
'You didn't tell me I couldn't so you know'  
  
'Yes, but-'  
  
'Anyway! I came her to ask you a question' Leaunna said, this caught his attention and he didn't say anything but his expression told her to continue.  
  
'Well, maybe you could let me go-'  
  
'No, you cannot.'  
  
'You didn't even know what I was going to say!' she stomped her foot and raged at him.  
  
'You were going to ask me if you were able to go outside, I know and my answer still remains no,' he said coolly.  
  
'That's relevant!'  
  
'Look, I don't understand what your thought on last nights 'actions' but what ever happened was probably the cause of alcohol but it wasn't anything special' Dilandau whispered in an undertone. There was a small growl from Leaunna and then there was a loud slap and everything was quiet.  
  
'I despise you; but I can't shake any feelings I have' she nothing but whispered and then started to cry and then ran out of the room, many pairs of eyes watching her as she ran out.  
  
Every pairs of eyes turned on Dilandau glaring after her as she sped out, many whispers going around like, 'did she just hit Dilandau sama?' and 'She might not make it to supper, if she's lucky.' Dilandau's cheek was slowly turning a softer pink as his magenta eyes fumed with anger. He then gave out a slight laugh and in one swift movement threw his epee on the floor, and walking past the shocked slayers saying, 'Do I have to tell you to get busy or do I have to make you!' he shouted bitterly as he slapped the nearest Slayer and left.  
  
Leaunna was rampaging though the halls looking for a way out, she knew there had to be one way or another. She opened one door after another and then she came across the medical wing when an idea struck her.  
  
*****  
  
It only took Dilandau a matter of time before he found Leaunna sitting cross-legged in the chair beside the bed in the hospital wing. She was humming a tune to a song, while a semiconscious Gatti lay beside her. Between her fingers she was holding a bloody dagger, subconsciously spinning it once in a while.  
  
Dilandau's eyebrows knitted together at once and he hissed, 'what have you done this time demon?'  
  
'Nothing' was her reply, as innocent as ever. 'But if you don't let me go, I will do something, whether it be myself or him... or you' She held the dagger on it's side pulling it out from between her two fingers and thumb, making new fresh blood lines. Dilandau started to walk forward. Leaunna shot her eyes towards him and raised the dagger above the sleeping slayers face. Dilandau stopped and glared.  
  
'What are you planning to do kill him?'  
  
'Yes,' she said coolly.  
  
'You couldn't do it.'  
  
'Sure I could. Watch me' but she didn't move her hand from above his face.  
  
'What are you waiting-' Dilandau stopped in mid-sentence when he saw Leaunna's face distort with confusion. She shushed him.  
  
'What do y-' Dilandau heard it too, loud noises coming from outside the fort getting closer and closer. By now things were starting to fall off the shelves and making it very hard to stand without stumbling.  
  
'What's that?' Leaunna whispered. Dilandau shrugged and turned around saying, 'I'll deal with you later, enjoy life while you still can' and then left out the door.  
  
'You're a little low to be saying that Dilandau Albatou' she said in a low, manly voice. 'I'll teach you to mess with my family' she got up and she transformed back into her original state. 'You did prove yourself useful, both of you actually' said the person who slowly transformed back into an ugly, blue-gray looking shape shifter. 'You played your part well, although that last part was a little unexpected. You'll die soon so then you wont have to worry about your little lover ever again I'll take good care of him, send him to meet his doom with Zongi' He walked out and left a semiconscious, bleeding Leaunna on the floor in the corner or the room.  
  
*****  
  
Leaunna was lying on the floor staring at the ceiling; hand over the wound on her stomach, breathing heavily. She turned her head to the side to look at something. She felt a sharp pain in the side of her rib and then her head lolled to one side, her eyes still open. Her breathing was slowly stopping until her chest rose and deflated one more time and then it stopped. Her body began twitching uncontrollable. Her pupils dilated completely all that was left of her eyes were white orbs and she started to make shallow screams.  
  
Gatti, who heard these, sprang up in his hospital bed and clutched his side. His eyes widened with shock as he saw the figure on the floor going in and out of cardiac arrest Gatti, despite his discomfort, jumped off the bed and shoved the pillow he grabbed under her head so she wouldn't hurt her. Suddenly she stopped and closed her eyes. Gatti bent down again and she opened her eyes Gatti gaped at her for a minute.  
  
'Kill, he's going to kill... him... it...will... kill me... wants to kill me... he wants to kill him' She said slowly.  
  
'Who's going to kill who?'  
  
'I am' She stated. She arched over into Gatti and she started coughing. Gatti looked at her in utmost shock and couldn't do or say anything else until she screamed and pushed him away.  
  
Gatti looked at her and that's when he realized something was wrong with her. The cut on her cheek was slowly disappearing and was the gash in her stomach. Slowly but surely she began to feel that distinct burning feeling in her hands and then it began pulsating though her whole being, just like last time. She began to feel thing poking and prodding her skin, feeling her nails grow painfully, everything was done so painfully.  
  
Leaunna looked up, now as the demon she was, she stared at Gatti with those white orbs. She looked like she was ready to attack, although it looked like something else was holding her back. Her head twitched from side to side and then she started to walk to the door and cut though it.  
  
'Can...do...this...must be... strong... can be...Arghhhhh' Leaunna screamed inside her head trying to counteract everything that Dilandau and Folken said would happen. She was trying to control the monster within her being and it was working. She sauntered up to where her room was and it opened for her. She went over to the wall where she remembered the tapping the previous day and started slashing furiously as it. Blood began to trickle down her fingers and onto the floor around her. When she finally got a hand though, her palms and fingers were very, very bloody.  
  
She stepped outside and looked around, it wasn't day at all it was actually very dark, with the exception of the light that was radiating off of Leaunna. She turned the corner and it appeared that the big crashing noise earlier was a dragon. Not just any dragon, it was a Red Dragon. A very rare Fire Breathing Red Dragon and only Dilandau and two other slayers were fighting it off. Leaunna started walking forward hand outstretched towards the dragon, or so it seemed and the Dragon stopped dead in its tracks, and so did everybody else that was there, including the doppelganger.  
  
Her slow walking started into a sprint and then in to a run. She ran right for the Dragon slashing it across the face and then tuned slightly and with her other hand she drove her already bloody claws though the doppelganger.  
  
'You kill me... and I kill you' she whispered in a very demonic voice to the doppelganger before she turned her claws upright and drove them up into his heart and then pulled them out. He fell backwards and Leaunna closed her eyes and collapsed as herself again.  
  
'I could not let you kill Dilandau'  
  
'I knew he was there, he wanted revenge' Dilandau said bitterly  
  
'Why, then... how come you didn't do anything to stop what he was planning to do?'  
  
'I was going to make sure he was going to meet the same filthy end as Zongi.'  
  
'That, that, that is very terrible, how in the world could you accomplish that?'  
  
He started to pick her up and she weakly opened her eyes and she looked face to face with Dilandau and asked him meekly, 'Why do I love you?' 


	11. Creep

Chapter 10  
  
Creep  
  
When you were here before  
  
Couldn't look you in the eye  
  
You're just like an angel  
  
Your skin makes me cry  
  
You float like a feather  
  
In a beautiful world  
  
I wish I was special  
  
You're so fucking special  
  
But I'm a creep I'm a weirdo.  
  
What the hell am I doing here?  
  
I don't belong here.  
  
*****  
  
Waking up in a very different room, Leaunna tried to sit up but couldn't, there was something holding her down. She looked back and forth but didn't see anything in the dark room, although she remembered the fell of cold steal on her bare arms and forehead and realized she was in the scorers' room, a not so good place to be.  
  
'Awake are we?' said an enticing and icy voice coming from the corning. It was Folken Leaunna Figured. 'Don't worry, I'll let you go soon enough, but for now please don't struggle.'  
  
'Why?' she asked as innocently as possible.  
  
'Because you proved my theories, all of the hypothesis' and theories wrong and I want to know why. You fought with your inner-self and took control of your body, something I thought was impossible, until now anyway.'  
  
'So what? Your going to probe me some and then make me take some shit so I can be your little experiment' she fumed.  
  
'No, I'm not going to PROBE you with anything. But you might feel a slight burning sensation when this goes into you and you might have some weird dreams so I'm just warning you.'  
  
'What! No!'  
  
'Hey, listen, your very lucky to be alive, by-all-accounts, this doesn't make sense why you are alive when you should have been dead. You should have been dead when the doppelganger planned to kill you, but anyway relax'  
  
'Relax?! How can you be so calm! You're going to torture me and you're calm as a blue fucking ocean!' She shook furiously, winding and twisting her body left and right trying to get loose but to no avail.  
  
'Listen' Folken whispered tranquilly, 'We can do this easy so no one gets hurt or hard and you'll get hurt so you can choose it doesn't matter which one it is, but your still getting the shot, and believe me it will hurt more if you try to avoid it.' Leaunna let out a prolonged growl and an exasperated sigh and relaxed as best as she could. She was still tense however.  
  
'Thank-you' Folken gently shoved the tip of the needle into Leaunna skin and muscles and it flinched on its own.  
  
It was as just as Folken said, although she made a mental note to herself to kick Folken when he undid her for saying a "slight" burning sensation. It was more like a wicked and terrible burning sensation that made her body go into a convulsion now and then. It flowed through her veins and felt like she was burning from the inside out. The pain was so unbearable that she passed out.  
  
*****  
  
'I just don't understand how this came to be' A cloaked figure said.  
  
'It might have been, what Dornkirk called it, "fate"' the other suggested.  
  
'Fate? Hmm? D'you really think that it would be considered fate? She could destroy our world.'  
  
'Just like the other girl from the Mystic Moon, only this one might actually succeed, good thing Lord Folken figured it out before she got too out of hand'  
  
'Power is a merciless thing no one knows how to use it.' The second cloaked figure said meagerly.  
  
'If her powers grow, she'll possible be able to take out an entire army.'  
  
'But, if we can convince her to join Zaibach's side-'  
  
'Fool!' the clocked figure scolded. 'One with that much power sees everyone as their enemy, the best way to deal with it is to kill her.'  
  
'There will be no... killing yet,' a voice from a corner said, 'If she does join the side of Zaibach, that could finally mean revenge on Van and his putrid little dragon mecha of his.'  
  
'That's not wise Lord Dilandau,'  
  
'I didn't ask what was wise and what was not did I?'  
  
'No sir' the first one cowered slightly, but not to show weakness.  
  
'Then I purpose you keep your mouth shut,' He shouted at him. 'Now when is she supposed to wake up?'  
  
'Not for another day sir, at least'  
  
'A day? What was the point of all this havoc anyway?'  
  
'It was to see why she is able to contain her power so well. You see it shouldn't be possible.'  
  
'Why shouldn't it be possible?'  
  
'Someone at such a young age, having complete power over their own being when it goes ballistic.....' The man passed back and forth, eyes sunken into his head tiredly. 'There is something else in her besides her power to control her demonic side' He placed his hands neatly behind his back and sauntered over to a counter with many bottles, substances and medical equipment on it.  
  
The other being in the room spoke up. 'We have found something odd in her DNA however, that might help us have a better understanding you do realize.'  
  
'What?' Dilandau inquired insipidly.  
  
'She has this strange demonic burden with her, but also we found traces of Draconian blood in her.'  
  
'What!' Dilandau screeched. 'She's one of them? That bitch' he hissed bitterly. 'Why didn't she tell me?'  
  
'Calm down Dilandau' Came Folken's voice, the new presence in the room. 'It's not like she knew. There is a lot I've learned from her, and a lot of it I still don't understand fully myself, some of it is still hard to believe, it's strange.' Folken said curiously but knowingly.  
  
'What things?' Dilandau spat out like venom.  
  
'A while ago, a fairly long time ago, about 17 actually, my mother went looking for me. She ventured off in the forest where a traveller met her. This man said he would help my mother find her lost son. Over the period of two days she fell in love with this man and then disappeared off the face of Gaea no one ever saw her again after she gave birth to this girl, hence the Draconian blood, and her biological father, was one of the first of the demon race, therefore leaving it to the point that she is very much in control of her power and should be able to use it usefully when she begins to understand it little more better'  
  
'Hold on a minuet, this is crazy, you're telling me that she is Van and yours sister?' Dilandau asked teeth gritted together.  
  
'Half-sister really, same mother, different father, but I don't believe how she betrayed our father like that with another man only shortly after his death.'  
  
'And how did you find all this stuff out anyway?' One of the sorcerers asked.  
  
'In the caved-in research lab back at the Zaibach fortress, there are thousands of books and pages about this "clan" that I didn't even know existed until I backtracked what Dornkirk's research lab looked like. He had tonnes of books in the corner and I thought to myself, those could be rendered as useful, I decided to check it out and this is what I found out. Although there were many pages missing, it was a written report, progress really, as if Dornkirk had guided his fate altering machine that way'  
  
*****  
  
A bright light turned on above Leaunna's head and she stirred softly. Her lips parted in protest and she mumbled something. She squinted her eyes before opening them fully to see two figures looming over her. Both had beady eyes and were cloaked almost fully.  
  
'She's awake much earlier that I'd imagined' one of them said in a sick horse voice.  
  
'Indeed, especially after that... experiment'  
  
'Experiment?' Leaunna thought bitterly. She tried to move but realized she was still secure underneath the straps. Her throat burned and she couldn't talk, it was as if she forgot how too.  
  
'Awake, that's amusing. Leaunna?' Dilandau spoke most calmingly as he walked over to her as if she was a startled animal. She attempted to move her head but her effort was futile. She glanced with her eyes over to the direction of the voice. She stared in Dilandau's eyes for a minuet before looking away again. She tried to speak again, but got nothing more then a squeak out, inside her head she was screaming.  
  
Dilandau grabbed the nearest chair and pulled it towards the lab table and sat down on it backwards.  
  
'I know you can hear me, demon, so listen well. Helping us will get you farther than you could on your own all right? Now cut the sinful thoughts about killing anyone at the moment and clear you mind of anything obsolete.'  
  
'Clear my mind? How can I do that your putting all the crap in here!' she shouted in her mind. She blinked as if to say "okay"  
  
'Van has taken something of mine, and I want it back' he said just as calm as before.  
  
'Taken something? What?' she thought.  
  
'While you were sleeping, he came here, probably to sought out whatever plan I had, which of course, included you, but fortunately he didn't find you. All he found was some important papers and a pendant; this is a special pendant you see, not too different than the one Hitomi had. Although, this one is a little more dangerous.'  
  
'Pendant?' She attempted to speak again and managed to say, 'Why?'  
  
'Progress? That's interesting' said one of the sorceries behind Dilandau. Dilandau looked behind his should and the man backed away a little.  
  
'Why? This pendant was made by Lord Dornkirk himself; woven by threads of the very same thing as fate itself. This one pendant had the power to change the course of destiny, to change feelings, to kill people. Dornkirk never did finish it completely, but it works nonetheless. If you get that back, I'm willing to give you your freedom.'  
  
Leaunna blinked stupidly for a minuet. 'Did he just say what I think he did? Has the love bug bit him again? Or is he lying?' she thought.  
  
'Lie..... Insipid lie... on your behalf... maybe.' 


	12. A Sorta Fairy Tale

Chapter 11  
  
A Sorta Fairy Tale  
  
On my way up north  
  
Up on the Ventura  
  
I pulled back the hood  
  
And I was talking to you  
  
And I knew then it would be  
  
A Life Long thing  
  
But I didn't know that we  
  
We could break a silver lining  
  
And I'm so sad  
  
Like a good book  
  
I can't put this  
  
Day Back  
  
A sorta fairytale  
  
With you  
  
*****  
  
'They don't know what you look like; I don't think they've seen you. Incase they have, you'll be going at night. That way, it looks like you've escaped. Then you will stay for a while, when you are sure the trust you that is when you find the pendant and take it during the night and come back here. We will be leaving to go somewhere else when you get here. Since you've destroyed part of it and it is easy for anyone to just waltz on through.'  
  
Leaunna and Dilandau were sitting in a dimly lit room on either side of a desk. Leaunna was looking at her hands, which were clasped together on her lap. She cleared her throat.  
  
'So, what happens if the don't trust me?'  
  
'Well, that's an interesting question... I never really thought about that.' Dilandau rested his chin in his forefinger and thumb, other three fingers slightly curled. 'Do it by force; he would use that pendant for nothing but himself.'  
  
'But, how are you so sure Dilandau?' Leaunna asked looking up to meet a pair of stone eyes staring her into submission. She glanced away.  
  
'He will use it to find me and to kill me. It can control fate, it can control people's minds and actions' He said, sounding a little agitated.  
  
'Then why do you have it?'  
  
'...' He closed his eyes and dropped his hand, which fell to his knee. 'I have because... I lied.'  
  
Leaunna snapped her head up in shock. 'Not the first time' she mumbled. Dilandau's eyes flicked and he gave a small grin.  
  
'I lied to everyone... Folken, the slayers and the sorcerers. Lord Dornkirk was a cover up. The fact is, that pendant was my- was Celena's mother.'  
  
'So what? You now know you were Celena at one time as to before you changed back to her the first time, you didn't?'  
  
'The only reason I know is because after a few years Celena became weak I knew there was a presence in me before I changed back the first time, I choose to not say a word and ignore it. Eventually I became too in tuned with grief and she took over me. Once I had learned to cope with all the death I was able to regain and learn about things.'  
  
'Like what?'  
  
'Like what kind of people are able to do things like, bring people back to life, as you might have guessed. Allen was having tea with a friend one day, that pansy, and had invited Celena. It was the night before I stole the pendant to get to you.' He sighed and stood up.  
  
'Anyway, the man was talking about some old hag that loved the black arts. No one was able to find her, or so they supposed. The man sadly passed away the next morning though, after I got Celena to get the information out of him. I knew he knew where the cottage was, why else would he have brought it up.' Dilandau gave out a dry chuckle.  
  
'So you killed him? After you seduced him?'  
  
'Well, I didn't seduce him, Celena did, I just did the dirty work. That night I stole the pendant and then I took it to the Mystic Moon, made a rough landing in some bushes and that's where you came in.' Dilandau walked over to a table and started to pour some wine for himself, back turned to Leaunna.  
  
'Okay two questions' Leaunna said.  
  
'Mm?' He said gulping down the red liquid and pouring himself another glass.  
  
'One, how is your life story relevant with me getting the pendant and two, that night, when you said you loved me, were you lying to me?' she stood up out of her chair and Dilandau slowly turned around to meet her asphyxiating gaze. He walked over to the table and placed his glass down and sat.  
  
'Maybe' he answered smugly.  
  
'Answer me' she hissed though gritted teeth placing one hand firmly in the center of the papers Dilandau was reading.  
  
'What do you want from me? Wedding vows?'  
  
'Maybe!'  
  
'No.'  
  
'No what?' she said with her hands, 'I- I don't know how, but you somehow keep making me feel this way, by all accounts it doesn't make any sense I should hate your guts but I don't and I don't want to because I do love you.'  
  
'No... I wasn't lying' he said harshly, kicking the ground all the while scowling at it.  
  
'Then why were you so mean?' Dilandau let out a stifled laugh at the question and she looked at him skeptically.  
  
'I'm always mean, that was me at least trying to be... nice. I can barely say the word leave me some dignity.'  
  
Leaunna laughed this time. 'I think you've lost all your dignity a while ago.'  
  
'Anyway shall we get back to business?'  
  
'Um sure'  
  
'So go there, be trusted, get pendant, come back her, and I'll send you home?'  
  
'Okay got it; my head is saying don't trust you, but I want to know how this turns out. So, incase you are lying, you will take me home and from there I will give you the pendant? Got it?'  
  
'Understood. Now come on I have something I want to show you.'  
  
Leaunna raised an eyebrow and walked after him. After a few halls Dilandau stopped at a door. The door slid open and Leaunna squinted her eyes from the brightness shining through.  
  
'Your, letting me outside?' she snorted with a little laugh. 'You never let me outside'  
  
'Might as well, your going to be out in the light for about three days anyway, why not let you start a couple days ahead?'  
  
'There's something wrong with you' she said poking him hard in the chest.  
  
'Like what?'  
  
'Oh! Like what?' she mocked. 'Like sentiment.'  
  
'No ones around.'  
  
'So this is how it is? No ones around lets be buddies?' she laughed.  
  
'Pretty much,' Leaunna looked at him mouth gaping open she blinked at him and waited for him to say something. 'Hey,' he said defensively, 'I have a reputation to keep.'  
  
'Right' she said shoving him lightly. 'Good ol' stoic Dilandau with a saucy attitude.'  
  
Dilandau pushed the thin fiber that was hiding the base out of the way, only to let that last bit of sunlight that was straining to get through the little woven nets.  
  
'After me' Leaunna said boldly and walked ahead of him. She looked around and everything seemed different from the night before.  
  
'Should I go tonight perhaps' Leaunna was spinning around in circles, arms open wide. She leaned on a tree and closed her eyes, letting the dizziness take over her. Dilandau walked over to her and leaned on the opposite side of the tree, crossing his arms over his chest.  
  
'Maybe, but I think tomorrow would be better.'  
  
Leaunna smiled slightly and opened her eyes, she tried to look behind her to see him but couldn't. She sighed. 'Why d'you think that?'  
  
'Well, I'm just saying'  
  
'Come for a walk with me' Leaunna suddenly said and started to walk deeper into the woods.  
  
'I'm not much for walking'  
  
'Yea, I know' she agreed. He started to follow her trail into the forest. 'You say you hate walking, yet you still seem to be following me'  
  
'I can't let you go out her all alone something might happen to you'  
  
'I can take care of myself, as you should already know or should I prove myself?' she made her fingers curl and she swatted at Dilandau like a cat with claws.  
  
'Are you sure about that?' he asked grabbing her hands pulling her close to him placing a hand on her lower back.  
  
'Well I don't know, not if I have a strong man here to protect me' she pressed into him and kissed him softly, but demanding on the lips.  
  
'Uh, Dilandau sir,' a soft out of breath voice said. Dilandau and Leaunna both froze for a minuet before Dilandau pulled away coughing. Leaunna turned around, blushing crimson.  
  
'What?' Dilandau snapped impatiently.  
  
'It's the fort, it's under attack, we couldn't find you in time to stop the initiation of it'  
  
'What are you doing to stop it?'  
  
'It was attacked from the back sir, there was not much we could do that we didn't do' the soldier was slapped across the face.  
  
'Incompetent-' Dilandau gave a sly smile. 'Come on Leaunna. Hurry up' Leaunna ran after him. 'Listen, go out there, make them take you back, I know that it is Van run ahead.'  
  
Leaunna sprinted towards the back of the base. She looked around until she saw her victim.  
  
'Help me' she screamed. The young man looked her way stopped dead in his tracks. He looked from where he came from as she finally made it to him grabbing on to his shoulders. He shyly put an arm around to comfort her. Leaunna smiled inwardly.  
  
'Van, this way.' A certain blonde shouted 'the crusade ship is here!'  
  
'Can you walk' he asked gently. Leaunna nodded in dismay.  
  
'Yes'  
  
'Come on.' Still, with one hand around her, he helped her as she walked beside him out of the base. Leaving behind a glaring Dilandau.  
  
'That seemed all too real.' was his last comment before the crusade took flight.  
  
'Why aren't they coming after us?' Van asked himself.  
  
'It's highly unusual' Allen said.  
  
'No it's not!' Merle screeched jumping out of the corner.  
  
'Merle! I told you not to come this time why don't you listen? You could get hurt'  
  
'But, what if you get hurt, I need to tend your wounds Lord Van'  
  
'I'm fine Merle.' Van smiled. 'But promise me you won't do that again.'  
  
'I menumn' she mumbled.  
  
'What?'  
  
'I promise!' Merle shouted before sitting down again. Leaunna stayed in the young kings arms making sure she didn't do anything rational while she was there, after all, trust isn't something you can buy. She didn't want to do anything that would make them think that she was faking her distress so she pretended to fall asleep as if she hadn't been getting any sleep for a while. It was partially correct, since she slept on an iron table for a night only two days ago. Van rested his head on hers in a protective manner.  
  
'What do you think we should do with her?'  
  
'I don't know, do you think we might be able to get some information out of her on the whereabouts of Dilandau?'  
  
'Probably, but maybe not, what kind of person tells their hostages what there plans are?' Van asked.  
  
'Actually a lot of them do, usually out of boredom because they have no one else to talk to and they just figure that they're gonna kill em anyway so why not make them think they have a chance to get out of the whole mess.'  
  
'Well, we'll see'  
  
It was hard for Leaunna to stay awake when her eyes were shut and her ear was pressed against Van's chest, feeling it rise and descend and hearing his heartbeat in tune with hers, she felt herself slipping more and more into consciousness and finally all thoughts she had were drowned and she'd fallen asleep in his arms. 


	13. I Won't Stay Here Long

Chapter 12  
  
I wont stay here long  
  
Leaves are falling, and something's calling me here.  
  
The state of depression that I'm walking in,  
  
Got the impression that I won't stay here long.  
  
I know I am like this, but still I don't know what to do.  
  
The sky is darkening; I can feel it in the air.  
  
My heart is sinking; I know winters on its way.  
  
I know I am like this, but still I don't know what to do.  
  
I know I am like this. Oh sister, show me what to do.  
  
*****  
  
Stirring with the light that poured over her entire body she breathed in deep taking in the smell of the fresh new sheets. She wondered why the sheets smelt so fresh and then she remembered where she was. She opened her eyes dully, letting the warmth of the sun take her over. She hadn't woken up to the sun for the longest time.  
  
'Hello, dear, you vere so exhausteed' a woman said with a thick accent.  
  
'Huh?'  
  
'Lord Van made zure that you vere looked avter before he levt you alone you know zat vight?' Leaunna shook her head as the woman put fresh clean clothing on her bed. 'Now git up child, Lord Van iz ezpecting you.' The woman hurried out and down the hall talking aloud once in a while.  
  
Leaunna looked puzzled for a minuet and then laughed at herself quietly. She was being treated like royalty, and she liked it. She sat up in and threw off the covers. She looked at the cloths that were neatly set on the bed for her to slip into, she also noticed that she wasn't in her dirty jeans or her half torn top either. She was in a long pearl white night gown. She blushed at the thought of someone changing her. She looked around nervously and then walked over to the door where she looked to see if anyone was coming then slammed it shut. She walked over to the cloths that were put on the bed for she grabbed them and then she held it out in front of her. The cloth unfolded reveling a dress that went a little past her feet.  
  
'I wish I still had my jeans' she whispered under her breath, 'I really don't like dresses.'  
  
She took off the nightgown and pulled the dress over her head. When she didn't see any foot-ware she just decided to walk about with nothing on her feet; rather than waiting for someone to get worried and go and look for her and then give her some shoes. Yes, that would be a long and boring process.  
  
Leaunna opened the door and popped her head out as if expecting someone to jump out and scare her. 'Man' she thought while trying to fix the dress so that was comfortable, 'This dress is the most tight, sore, annoyingly scratchy dress that I've ever worn, and it feels like it is chocking me'  
  
She walked down the hall, tip toes actually, and gave out the odd whispered, "hello, I don't know where I am supposed to go, I'm meeting Van somewhere" she scowled and then turned a corner and she started talking to herself again.  
  
'Hello, I'm Leaunna, I live somewhere on the mystic moon I'm meeting Van, no one is going to help me find him so I'm going to have to do it myself.'  
  
'I knew you were weird' Merle hissed from behind her. Leaunna's heart caught in her throat and she blushed crimson. She took a deep breath, smoothed the front of her skirt and turned around.  
  
'I'm perfectly normal' she told the now purple-eyed cat glaring back at her eyes with her intense ones. Her tail was erect and she had her claws reveled.  
  
'Riiiight, talking to yourself is just peeeeeeerfectly normal, well in the books of Gaea, it isn't so maybe you should tell me what you want or get out of here.'  
  
'Okay, I was supposed to see Van-'  
  
'Yes, that's a matter we need to discus; Van, he's mine I'm going to marry him'  
  
'But he's almost three years older than you and plus he's almost like your brother is he not?'  
  
'Shut up' the cat shushed and scratched her. Leaunna recoiled with pain and then the catgirl started talking again. 'Van is this way, he sent me to look for you since you were a little late. Oh yeah, another thing,' Leaunna stopped walking and looked at the grin on the catgirls face. She raised her brows at the catgirl who's grin widened from ear to ear.  
  
'Normally, on Gaea, I'm not sure what it is like on the phantom moon, but we ware shoes'  
  
'Well,' she said huffily. 'I couldn't find mine! Humph' she walked off, Merle following her.  
  
'In here' Merle said turning in front of her.  
  
Inside Van and the others were talking. When they noticed the other presence, which wasn't hard after Merle's screech, Allen looked up in disappointment and Van, oblivious to her discomfort from Allen, smiled sweetly at her.  
  
'So you've finally decided to come, I thought you might have had some trouble getting here, the maid can be forgetful at times, so I sent Merle to help you get here'  
  
'Thank you' she whispered.  
  
'Take a seat' Allen said, motioning to a chair beside him. Leaunna nodded and gingerly walked over to take a seat. Once close enough Allen got out of the chair and pulled it out for her. She looked flabbergasted at it for a moment and then sat down, Allen pushing it in and he once again took his seat beside her. Van was on the other side of her, a half empty glass of wine beside his left arm, a sword just beyond that and some papers completely covered his right side. Allen's side was a little tidier. He had a half opened letter; the red wax looked like it was picked off and just flicked there out of boredom. He too, had his sword on table. Leaunna took this as a warning to not do anything stupid or suspicious.  
  
'You look uncomfortable' Said Van, noticing the look of discontentment painted on her face. She shrugged. Van moved a little closer across the table and held his hand by his face and whispered to her, 'It's on backwards, that's probably why it is so uncomfortable.' He leaned back in his chair and a light blush played at Leaunna's cheekbones. She smiled lightly and got out of the chair. She turned around and pulled the dress a little over her head, just enough for her arms to come out easily, then she whirled it around and then she brought it back down settling her arms into it.  
  
'Thank-you' she said with embarrassment. 'And I wondered why it was so tight around the neck' she let out a dry laugh and sat back down in her seat.  
  
'You were out for quiet a while.'  
  
'Was I? I wasn't really that tired though'  
  
'You fell asleep just a little while after and then you've been asleep for about seventeen hours at least'  
  
'Seventeen,' she laughed out, 'seventeen, are you serious?'  
  
'But that's not the topic' Allen interrupted. 'Do you know anything on the whereabouts of Dilandau?'  
  
'Dilandau? I thought that's why you went there, I thought you found him; did you not?' Leaunna said, very melancholy.  
  
'No, we found you instead...Gaddes came a little too soon and we didn't have enough men to take their fort by force.'  
  
Leaunna grimaced, 'Then that's when you found me, is it not? I'm always getting in the way. I should just go I can find my own way home!'  
  
'No, no I didn't mean anything by it' Allen reasured her. 'How did you escape?'  
  
Leaunna stared for a moment, looking around at Allen, then Van and then the pouting face in the corner that belonged to Merle. 'I-' she started and didn't have an excuse to finish it with. 'I'm very ashamed of it' she said looking down. Everyone's face looked at her in shock.  
  
'Why what happed?' Van asked coolly.  
  
'Well, I'd rather not say, but since you helped me, The base was shaking and I was wondering what it was so I started screaming and when Ch- one of Dilandau's slayers came I hit him in the head and used the eye scan thingy on the inside of the door to get out'  
  
'That's nothing shameful'  
  
'Yes it is, I uh, hurt someone...I hate hurting people.'  
  
'So, you don't know where he is?'  
  
'No' Leaunna said looking down.  
  
'Right back where we started' Allen all but complained and Leaunna let her head lull to the front. Although she was lying, she was still a little uncomfortable doing it and it made her feel bad. She wanted to just confess to them everything but when she thought about what she was after she decided to keep her mouth shut.  
  
'Come on Allen, it's not like we're lost completely, Dilandau is probably ransacking the village east from here, near where the base was set up' Van assured. Allen nodded and left the room, grabbing his sword before doing so. Van sighed, every since Celena had left, Allen had been so depressed.  
  
Van knew he had the power to bring back Celena, he was just afraid to use it. He thought that if he had the thing the Dilandau desired the most her would surrender. Not once was there ever a word or a murmur of someone invading in on the castle. Van often wondered if Dilandau were as enamored with it as he thought he was, but if it held that much power Van was certain that he Dilandau would love it as much. Something containing that much power could lead to the destruction of many countries on Gaea. But that is, of course, if Dilandau gets his grubby little hands on it.  
  
Leaunna looked at the floor, she found her self doing it a lot lately as if she was embarrassed of something or someone.  
  
'You have to excuse Allen,' Van said considerately, 'I mean, he lost his sister when she was five, then both of his parents died; he was alone for quite sometime, until his sister came back into his life you know'  
  
'Celena is Dilandau right? How come you can't get through to him, bring forth Celena?'  
  
'Right, Dilandau is Celena, but it would take a lot of time to muster up enough power to get through to Celena, as we speak Dilandau is constantly taking over her body. Nothing could have saved her before if it wasn't of the grief over losing Jajuka.'  
  
The door opened and Allen came waltzing on in and took the seat at the far end of the table. Van gave him a questioningly look.  
  
'I need to speak with you,' he glanced at Leaunna and then at Merle. 'Alone please'  
  
*****  
  
'What are they saying in there?' asked Merle. She had her hands pressed against the wooden door, which seemed to be almost sound proof and her left ear pressed right against it. She was starting at Leaunna who gently let her head loll to the front. She had her eyes closed and arms crossed over her chest, casually leaning against one of the walls.  
  
'You shouldn't be listing on someone else's conversation. On the phantom moon its considered 'Eavesdropping'' she said matter-of-factly, opening her eyes and in one swift movement started to walk towards Merle. Merle hissed and said, 'I know!! Gaea isn't a dumb world you know, it is the phantom moon that's strange!!'  
  
'Get out of the way I wanna hear' Leaunna pushed Merle away and kneeled on the floor in front of the door and put her right ear on the door near Merle's.  
  
'I can hear better than you' Merle laughed mockingly.  
  
'No da, you're a cat you have keen hearing.'  
  
They were both fixated on hearing what the two men in the room were talking about and staring intently at each other, each trying to decode what they were saying that they really didn't notice when the door seemed to give-way and both were stranded in front of Allen's feet. Both girls groaned into the floor as they felt their noses pushed into it.  
  
'Merle!' Van shouted. Merle jumped up and scurried over to Van and embraced him protectively.  
  
'It was HER idea,' she accused while wildly pointing a finger towards Leaunna. 'She made me Van Sama! She said I have... keen cat ears and can hear almost anything. although I didn't hear anything.' She smiled sweetly and licked Van's cheek. Allen gave Leaunna a dirty look before leaving she stared after him wondering what she had done wrong.  
  
'Is e-everything okay Van?' she asked timidly.  
  
'Yes,' he answered stiffly, 'Perfectly normal, if you'd like you can look around the castle, get accounted, just stay out of the knights quarters and the bedrooms. I trust you will get along fine.' Van brushed passed Leaunna with a stoic expression and intent eyes on her as if he was trying to see right through her. Merle was clinging most desperately to his arm and stuck her tongue out when he left.  
  
Leaunna didn't understand why he was so cold all of a sudden. What had Allen told him? Maybe if it was because she had been trying to hear? It really didn't matter to her anyway; she was after one thing, and one thing only.  
  
*****  
  
Leaunna walked out after everyone had gone and after she decided to look around the castle and to see if there was anything she could do to help the wondering maids that were squiring around the house at the time, cleaning this and that. Each and every one of them all 'shooed' her away.  
  
Leaunna was tired of trying to find something to do, she put of looking around the castle until she found out what exactly was wrong with Van first, then second she will find out where Dilandau's pendant was. Not that Van saying 'stay out of the knights quarters and the bedrooms' wasn't suspicious or anything. Instead, she went outside.  
  
There were dark clouds forming and she was sure rain was going to roll in anytime. She didn't care though; she just needed time to think. Even when a few drops started to fall, people on the streets didn't seem brake apart, it looked like a swarm of locust swallowing the streets, trying to get everything done before the rain falls harder. Leaunna dunked her head lower as she turned her attention elsewhere. She knew she didn't want to be in the midst of all this chaos, so she turned left and continued walking into the forest.  
  
The forest was dark and now wet, thanks to the rain, which started to fall and accumulate at a rapid rate on leaves. She wasn't too thrilled with the fact that her hair was matted to her forehead and stringy or the fact that her cloths were sticky and she had no shoes on; this really wasn't her day. The forest floor was filled with pine needles and snapped twigs, which she was constantly stepping on. There was also the random pinecone and acorn. The leaves were all so heavy with rainwater that the slightest movement would cause a barrage of rain to fall over her head causing her to stifle and stop her movement.  
  
She breathed heavily and slid down to the forest floor. She brought her knees to her chest; she knew she had no idea as to where she was but she was still willing to lie to herself about it.  
  
'I'm not lost,' she whispered, 'I just have to follow the mucky feet prints that I left behind. Unless this is like "Alice and Wonderland" and that stupid dog comes along and cleans everything' she sniffed. 'Stupid Allen' she whined as she threw a handful of soggy leaves, pine needles and other tid-bits on the forest floor.  
  
A stifled cry escaped her lips. She knew she was lying to herself but she refused to believe it. She rested her head on her knees and sighed. Behind her she heard branches crush. She held her breath and slowly raised her head. Everything was much darker then she's remembered it to be. Looking up Leaunna stumbled back staring at a huge green lizard. Her right arm caught her fall and her left arm grabbed a branch that was near by. She looked to her left and then her right there were four altogether. Her only means of escape was behind her. They all looked very hungry, she couldn't think of anything else to do but run, and that's what she did. 


	14. Save Tonight

Chapter 13 Save Tonight  
  
Go on and close the curtains  
  
All we need is candlelight  
  
You and me and a bottle of wine  
  
Going to hold you tonight  
  
We know I'm going away  
  
How I wish....wish it weren't so  
  
Take this wine & drink with me  
  
Let's delay our misery  
  
*****  
  
Van Fanel sat on a royal blue armchair holding a glass of half drank wine; he was staring at the mantle above the fireplace at a very significant piece of jewelry that was perched upon a stand under a glass case.  
  
'I don't see why you had to be so bitter towards her Allen,' Van commented taking a small sip from his goblet of wine. Allen stared wide- eyed for a moment before regaining his posture he whispered, 'I thought I told you Van, she's not here because she just so happened to escape the grasp of Dilandau, she's here for something. For this pendant no doubt, she wants to keep my sister as Dilandau, God Damnit.'  
  
'How can she be?' Van asked with a slight hush. 'She's,'  
  
'Beautiful? Yes. She is a rose isn't she?' Van looked at Allen in slight shock. 'But Van, all roses have thrones and they will prick you if you are not careful'  
  
'She's flawless, and innocent. Have you looked at her? You haven't seen her like I have. And yes, she's beautiful, but I'm no womanizer like yourself, Allen.'  
  
'I am no womanizer Van, and your right, neither are you. Just keep a good eye on her Van, she seems to show some interest in you.'  
  
'I- don't know what to do with it'  
  
'...'  
  
'Allen?'  
  
'It's up to you... you choose to hold this burden and until YOU come up with some way of using it or getting rid of it, you're on your own' Allen said. 'I don't want to take hold of it, because I would use it to gain knowledge and power. But I will guide you.'  
  
'That's helpful' Van replied scornfully.  
  
Allen sighed, 'It's better than facing it all alone isn't it?'  
  
'I have a feeling that she knows more than she lets on about Dilandau, about herself and this pendant. Allen, I'm confused. I wish Hitomi was here.'  
  
'Isn't that a bit of a selfish wish Van?'  
  
'Selfish? How so?'  
  
'Hitomi is happily living a life on the mystic moon, if suddenly your wish is heard...'  
  
'That won't happen Allen,' Van chuckled and finished off the last of the wine in the bottom of his goblet.  
  
'I could destroy him now this would all be over. No chance of him ever coming back.'  
  
'Van, listen to me,' Allen said, turning his head to look Van square in the face.  
  
'If you kill Dilandau, you kill Celena, and I will kill you if you do that. Celena is all I have left and you are not going got take her away from me.'  
  
'Allen,' Van grew a little pale from what he had said to him. Allen's eyes were so stern and cold. Van swallowed the growing lump in his throat before he rose. 'I wouldn't kill Celena,' He trailed off and walked out of the room.  
  
'Glad we agree' Allen whispered in to the empty room where only the crackling of the fire could be heard.  
  
*****  
  
Leaunna lay on the forest floor panting, she had collapsed for only a few seconds but it seemed like minuets, and could hear the stamped of hungry creatures still craving her. She had used her stealth to hide for a while but one had found her and her arm got cut, it was stinging for the moment, but still, it had healed a little.  
  
'Bastards!' she hissed. 'Their not perceived to be! I have no weapon! Why did they not attack?' she thought.  
  
'WHY ARE YOU ATTACKING ME?!?!?!' she screamed at the hurriedly approaching dragon. It opened its mouth leaving long trails of saliva on the ground. The other three were nowhere to be found. The dragon's reply was a blast of fire. Leaunna tried dodging it but it still caught the left side of he dress. She lifted her head and he eyes widened when she noticed the smell of burning cloths. She hastily looked around and grabbed greedily at the mud puddle in front of her and tossed a generous amount of the fire, dousing it completely.  
  
The dragon hissed at her, its tongue flicking out and his tail ready for predatory attack. Leaunna stood up, her fists balled.  
  
'If it's a fight you want you pathetic lizard! THEN I'LL GIVE YOU FIGHT!' She ran towards the dragon in mid-stride she transformed herself into the demon, slicing the dragon from the chest up to the neck. Blood spurted from its chest and onto her face and clothing as she landing with a thud on the ground. The dragon gave one final growl before collapsing on the ground, blood poring from its slightly opened mouth and wound.  
  
Panting, Leaunna hit the ground. She growled a bit and she retracted her claws so-to-speak. She heard another twig snap and she jolted up and looked around sharply. It slowly reviled itself from behind the dragon caucus.  
  
'Dilandau?!'  
  
*****  
  
'Hm?' Said Van peaking out the window, 'The rain's dying down'  
  
'That's a relief, this place gets soooooooo stuffy sometimes' Merle pouted, folding her arms over her chest and falling backwards on to an empty bed.  
  
'I wonder where Leaunna went, I told her she could look around the castle, but that must have been almost four hours ago. Did you see her?'  
  
'ME!?' Merle shouted pointing inwards to herself. 'Now WHY would I know where she went?' Merle said innocently. Van looked at her questioningly but sternly.  
  
'Well, if you mean if I SAW her GO somewhere. that's different! She left the castle about three hours ago...I saw her go around back.'  
  
'You let her LEAVE? You know the forest can be dangerous Merle.' Van asked her. Merle was perched on the windowsill on the far wall of the room they were in, snobbishly licking her front right paw.  
  
'I'll be right back' he said grabbing his sword. Merle stopping in mid-lick and jumped off the sill and directed herself right at Van.  
  
'Nooooooooo' she wailed. 'You can't it's dangerous! You could get eaten!'  
  
'Merle' he chuckled lightly. 'I can take care of myself. Leaunna isn't even form this world she might already be injured.'  
  
'Can I come with you then?'  
  
Van sighed. Putting his hands on the younger girls shoulders he said, 'No, I couldn't stand if you got hurt Merle, stay here and keep and eye out for us' Merle smiled and licked Van's cheek. 'Okay Lord Van' she squealed.  
  
*****  
  
'Dilandau?' Leaunna said stepping to the side for a better look at the man with the sword unsheathed. 'What are... are you doing here?' she managed to sputter out.  
  
'Leaunna, have you got the pendant.'  
  
She looked down towards the ground. 'No, but I will soon.' Dilandau walked over to her, 'When you do,' he said sheathing his sword and placing his hands on her hips, 'I want you to come back here and walk straight in that direction,' He took his hand off her waist to point and then quickly replaced it. 'By the waterfall, I'll go every night... at this time'  
  
'Why are you here?'  
  
'I was going to tell you this. It just happens you were in the forest. Why were-'  
  
The faint calling of a name could be heard in the forest. Leaunna's eyes widened. 'Leave! It's Van! I'll go as soon as I get it' she kissed him quickly and then turned and ran to where the voice came from. She looked over her shoulder and Dilandau was nowhere to be found.  
  
'Eh, Van? Van is that you?'  
  
'Leaunna? Are you all right?'  
  
'I- I'm fine' She collapsed to give Dilandau more time. Van caught her before she hit the ground. She looked up only to have her eyes, unwilling locked into those dark, brown orbs swirling with emotion. Leaunna let out a shaky breath as she felt herself being pulled up more into a sitting position. She tried to dislodge her gaze at he but Everytime she did, it would end up connecting straight away again.  
  
'Van' she whispered.  
  
'What were you doing out here all alone?' he asked in the same hushed voice.  
  
'I- I needed to clear my mind' she said looking back down to the forest floor for the longest time yet.  
  
'What happened? Why- are you hurt'  
  
'I'm not' she urged. Van kneeled fully down beside her, still holding her protectively. 'I'm fine, I just fell, a few times'  
  
'A few too many. everything is torn Leaunna, what happened?'  
  
'Please?' She shut her eyes, tears prickling the corners. She didn't want anyone else knowing that she was beast. She didn't like it herself.  
  
Her eyes snapped open when she felt pressure around her mouth. She saw Van, Van was... kissing her. She didn't know if she wanted this, or if she didn't. The kiss was short and sweet, but Van got his point across, she didn't have to tell him, but if she needed to talk, he would always be there.  
  
'Van, hormones.' She breathed. Van was slightly taken a back and took this as an insult.  
  
'I'm sorry.' He stood up while helping her up.  
  
'No, I didn't mean anything by it Van, it was just so sudden' she smiled.  
  
'I guess, Everytime I'm too proud or I-' Van grimaced.  
  
'Me too! Too dumb to notice that something like this, is real.' she finished for him looking back into those brown eyes.  
  
'Want to go back, you look cold.' Leaunna's nod was enough.  
  
*****  
  
Leaunna sat in a well-furnished room. There were plum colored drapes, bed covers, sheets and small carpets. Beside the canopy bed was sat a nice table pleasantly set up with a candle and doily. There was also a small desk in the corner with two brightly burning candles. Leaunna was sitting in the chair at the desk when Van walked in holding two cups of tea. He set them down in front of her and walked over to the window. His unfathomable dark brown eyes and raven black hair captured the light slightly from the two moons.  
  
'You know, you can sit on the bed if you want.' He told Leaunna breaking the silence.  
  
'I'm fine.' She answered coolly.  
  
'You don't have to be afraid you know.' He walked back over to her. He rested his hands on her shoulders and she shuddered but Van never removed his hands from them.  
  
'Please,' she begged, her heart racing; this wasn't part of her plan; Van wasn't part of the plan. Van refused to give up. To lose someone close to him again, he couldn't handle it. He moved his hands over to the crevice in her neck and she stood up refusing to feel anything.  
  
'You know, I'm not going to hurt you.' He said calmly.  
  
'I will,' she said just above a whisper, 'end up hurting you, myself...I always do.' Van advanced towards her with concern in his chocolate orbs, arms out stretched once more to caress her and hold her close.  
  
'Van I-'  
  
'Shhhh...you wont hurt me... I promise. Love me. I lost Hitomi because I didn't listen to my feelings until the last minuet.'  
  
'I don't know you...how can I love you? I'm sure Hitomi would have stayed here with you... she just missed her family.'  
  
Van folded his arms comfortably across his chest and looked Leaunna directly in the eyes.  
  
'I'm sorry Van. I don't know you.' She whispered again.  
  
'I don't believe that' he stated.  
  
'Why not?' she asked, rather offended.  
  
'Get to know me better then... I'll get to know you better if it makes you feel any better'  
  
'Why are you pushing this anyway?' she questioned him.  
  
'Because...I want to let you know that I KNOW I love you. I'm not going to let you go like I did Hitomi.'  
  
He moved towards the desk and grabbed the extra blanket he brought in.  
  
'C'mon, you must be sick. You were out there for hours in the rain with nothing but a stupid dress on.' Wrapping her up in the blanket he grabbed her hand, she unconsciously grabbed back, and led her to the bed. Van smiled inwardly and sat down beside her on the bed.  
  
'Alright,' he put his arm around her shoulders and rubbed them slightly. 'Would you like to get to know each other more?' She nodded. 'Okay, you start.'  
  
*****  
  
'So,' pondered Allen, who was sitting alone in a parlor. 'She IS helping him hmm? This is... interesting indeed. I will be waiting for her. If I want my Celena back,' He hung his head frowning, 'I'll have to stop her... somehow.'  
  
*****  
  
'So, Hitomi wrote a book? Quite fascinating I suppose. I guess she really made something of herself. That could be dangerous can it not?' Van asked and Leaunna shrugged.  
  
They were both lying on the bed in a tangled mess. Their legs were entwined and their fingers on her right and his right were laced. She had her head on his slowly raising chest and her left hand over her stomach. He was lying on the pillow and had his right arm around her, his left hand was draping over the side of the bed playing with a stray thread on the sheet.  
  
'I don't know, you're the one that lives here.' It had almost been two hours since they had started talking about how she got there and what she had done when she was in Dilandau's captive. Only leaving out some minor details.  
  
'So, I'm sure you know all about me then right?' he stated with a smile. She removed her head and sat up the best she could without falling over because of the lack of balance she didn't have in her legs. He sat up with her and put his arms around her waist. She didn't know what to do, or what to say for that matter so in defeat she leaned into him. He smiled inwardly and rested his head on her shoulder.  
  
'You know, not once have I heard you say, "You're beautiful"'  
  
'Well, aren't you confident.'  
  
'Hey!'  
  
'Calm down.' He soothed, holding her tighter. 'I didn't think I need to... it's not like that matters to me anyway... well maybe a little.'  
  
'Oh? Shallow are we?'  
  
'What? Shallow?'  
  
Leaunna giggled, 'Show is a term for guys and I guess girls too, who will only date beautiful people who are in perfect shape and stuff, despite their personality half the time.' She told Van.  
  
'Oh... well, I'm not shallow then.' He repeated, and extracted another giggle from her and smiled.  
  
'Stay with me and don't ever leave.' He said, burying his face into her shoulder.  
  
'Van?' She held her breath for a minute and then carried on, 'Listen. I'm in love with someone else, but I know that I have some kind of feelings for you too... it's just that I don't want to be unfaithful to him... I'm very confused.' She admitted.  
  
Van removed his head. 'I'm sorry, this is all my fault.'  
  
'No, no. I've always felt something for you, before I even met you. I'd read Hitomi's book and wish, God I wished I could meet you someday and have you hold me in your arms... and then I met someone else and my dreams... just didn't fit anymore.'  
  
'I know what you mean; I feel the same way about you and Hitomi.' He unraveled himself from her and stood up. 'I'm sorry. I didn't mean to confuse you.'  
  
'Van,' she appeased.  
  
'I'm sorry.' He said once again and then left.  
  
'Van...' The door shut and she sat on the bed feeling empty. 


	15. Always

Chapter 14 Always  
  
When you say your prayers try to understand  
  
I've made mistakes; I'm just a man  
  
When he holds you close, when he pulls you near  
  
When he says the words you've been needing to hear  
  
I'll wish I was him 'cause those words are mine  
  
To say to you till the end of time  
  
And I will love you, baby - Always  
  
And I'll be there forever and a day - Always  
  
I'll be there till the stars don't shine  
  
Till the heavens burst and  
  
The words don't rhyme  
  
And I know when I die; you'll be on my mind  
  
And I'll love you - Always  
  
*****  
  
Leaunna couldn't sleep. After Van had left her in the room so bitterly she tried getting to sleep, even after shifting many positions she decided that it was time to take the pendant. She was sure that she would never have another chance to.  
  
She got out of bed and started to walk towards the door and opened just a crack. She poked her head out to see if anyone was coming. To her avail, no one was. She snuck out of her room and crept down the hall. She remembered where Allen and Van had advised her not to go and she decided that would be the first place she would check.  
  
She turned a corner and saw a shadow in candlelight and froze. It was Allen.  
  
'What are you doing up so late?' He asked caringly.  
  
'Well,' she started. 'I...couldn't sleep.' She said putting her hands together and lowering her head.  
  
'Oh? Why don't you come have some tea with me.' he requested.  
  
'Some...tea.' Leaunna looked up and stared questioningly in his eyes and then nodded. 'Lead the way.'  
  
Allen smiled sweetly and walked briskly in front of her. 'Follow me.' he said and she obliged. He led her down the partially lit hallway and to a room where she new instantly this is one of the rooms she shouldn't be in. Allen opened the door and motioned with his hand that he wanted her to go in before him. Nervously, she walked in and he came in after her, shutting the door behind him.  
  
'Nice.' She looked around the well-furnished room and her eyes lay on the fire of glowing coals. On the mantle of the fireplace was a necklace. She eyed it and then quickly turned around to look at Allen who was sitting down. He moved his hand so that it was pointing at the chair beside him.  
  
'Take a seat.' He said. 'I'll go get the tea.'  
  
'Okay.' She replied, taking a seat. Allen left and shut the door behind him. She couldn't wait any longer, she knew Dilandau would leave soon and it was now or never. She cautiously got up and walked over to it. She reached her hand over to it and then retracted it. She was unsure if Allen was setting a trap or not, he seemed way too nice than when she first met him. She looked towards the door and stared. Nothing happened. She didn't hear anything either, so she grabbed the top of the jar and lifted it off slowly and grabbed for the pendant. When she held it in her hand she let out the breath she was holding since Allen left.  
  
She was walking towards the door when it opened. Allen was standing in front of her, holding a tray, which held two cups, a teapot, and a candle. He saw her holding the pendant and shouted at her.  
  
'What do you think you're doing with that?'  
  
'You set me up.' she said seemingly and laughed. Allen dropped the tray and went for his sword. Leaunna turned around and ran straight for the window. Allen stopped and stared at her dumbfounded. What was she going to do? he thought.  
  
She braced herself with her hands in front of her face and crashed through the window and started to fall like a rock in water. Allen ran to the window after her and saw her grow wings. Blood sprayed and painted a mist in the night air and was soaking into her clothing, still holding the pendant. Allen gapped at the scene. 'Draconian?' He thought.  
  
Allen cursed and ran out the door to outside the castle. He then followed her by foot to the forest where she was to meet Dilandau.  
  
Somewhere halfway in the forest Leaunna fell to the ground completely drained and tired. Stumbling she walked to where Dilandau was to meet her. It had taken too much out of her. She changed too quickly she figured. She collapsed again but pushed herself to move on. Allen wasn't too far behind when he saw he awkwardly walking in front of him. He slowly moved until he was near her but far enough so that she didn't hear him. He hid behind trees as not to be seen.  
  
She stumbled out into the opening and she stared out at a vast forest and a small waterfall. Below she saw a figure walking away. Even though her voice was meek she managed to yell out his name. The figure stopped and turned around and looked up.  
  
'Leaunna.' He said softly. She smiled and walked closer to the edge. She raised the pendant in her hand stained with droplets of her own blood. It shown beautifully in the partial moonlight as it reflected on her face.  
  
'I told ya you could trust me.' She said tauntingly in a sly voice. 'Are you coming up or am I going to have to go down?' She asked.  
  
'Come down here.' He said. 'Were going to leave.' He jerked his thumb towards the bushes.  
  
Leaunna smiled inwardly. 'Here' She threw the pendant down. It spun around and around and landed in front of Dilandau's feet. He bent down to pick it up. Leaunna was looking for a place to climb down when she suddenly felt something pierce her back and then she felt numb. She yelped and Dilandau, who heard this looked up.  
  
'What's-' He began but stopped when she saw the shimmering blade that was protruding through her stomach. 'No' he shouted.  
  
Leaunna began to pant. Trying to do something, but the only thing she could do was stand there. The person behind her moved closer and in doing so pushed the blade even further to the hilt. She looked to her side and saw the familiar face of Allen. He had the expression of remorse and cried a few tears.  
  
'Sometimes,' He started. 'Even angels deserve to die.' He brought the blade up as far as her could and threw her over the edge of the waterfall. She fell, upside down until she landed in the pool in the bottom halfway on shore and halfway on land. Her eyes were half lidded and she wasn't showing signs of breathing. Dilandau stopped trying to get up the cliff, and ran over to her. He threw himself to the ground near her and held her head in his lap. She took a sharp breath and looked up dully into magenta eyes that were filled with care. The sound of waves crashed around them.  
  
'Do it.' Dilandau whispered to her. 'Heal yourself, you did it before.'  
  
'I...can't.' she whispered back as blood began to pour out her wounds faster and faster. 'I just cant!' she hissed and the tears started to flow down her stained face.  
  
'You can't go...I...need you. Without you I'm nothing. Do something.'  
  
'I'll love you always Dilandau.'  
  
'Why can't you heal yourself! Why is this time different?' He shouted as he felt tears stinging his eyes.  
  
'I lost my strength getting to you. I got the pendant for you.' She half-smiled. A few tears slid down Dilandau's cheek as he whipped the pendant across the forest floor and held her face. 'I don't care about the pendant as much as I care about you Leaunna. Please...you're all I have.' His tears splashed off her forehead and her tears were flowing down her cheeks non-stop. They stopped suddenly and so did her breathing.  
  
'Leaunna?' Dilandau breathed. 'Please...' his bottom lip quivered and his whole body shook. He bent down and kissed her forehead and closed her eyes. 'Why does everything I love die?' he said as he pushed Leaunna the rest of the way into the water and watched her sink. He collapsed to the ground and began shaking violently. 'I'm alone. I'm alone again. All alone.' Allen started walking towards the form that was lying on the ground crying hysterically and put a hand on the shoulder. The person looked up and huge crystal blue eyes stared at similar ones.  
  
'Allen?' the figure sniffed.  
  
'Celena...' He whispered and brought her close into a suffocating hug. 'Celena, I'm sorry. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I needed you with me. I need to protect you and she was stopping me.'  
  
'What's...what have I done?' Celena asked sadly. 'Why am I crying? Why are you crying...what has happened?'  
  
'Nothing... Celena nothing has happened. Nothing.'  
  
They sat there by the rushing waterfall as Allen held his sister in an unbreakable embrace.  
  
The End 


End file.
